Comas Are Horrible
by MusicNinja
Summary: Kiba goes into a coma and he has to make Hinata love him in order to get back into his body. Only issue is that no one can see or hear him, but when has that stopped true love? Many times I'm sure.
1. Chapter 1

"_Kiba! Kiba, wake up!"_

_The shinobi's eyelids flickered but did not open. Hinata choked back tears but to no effect. They came anyway._

"_Kiba…" She sobbed, grabbing desperately at his shoulder, trying to keep him with her, "Kiba, please!"_

"_Ugh!" He cringed in pain and she quickly moved her hand away. His eyes opened and blinked up at her. Hinata gasped, torn between relief and fear._

"_Kiba?"_

"_He- Hina… Hinata?" His vision was blurry, unfocused._

"_Kiba…" She sighed softly, "Kiba, don't talk! You're injured, don't waste your strength."_

"_Not… a waste… talking to you…" She hated when he did that, distracted her small compliments. He grimaced again and looked around, "Where's… Akamaru?"_

"_Shino's taking care of him." Came the quick reply._

"_Good…"Kiba coughed slightly, covering his lower lip with shiny red blood, "Shino's bugs… they'll suck out the poison."_

"_Kiba, don't talk!" Hinata implored, weeping openly._

_He ignored her, the way he ignored everyone who tried to tell him what to do. With what Hinata was sure was the last of his strength, Kiba's arm rose and his hand clamped softly around the back of her head. Gravity, combined with Kiba's will pulled her to him and their lips locked in tight embrace._

"_Kiba?" She looked at him as though she'd never seen him before._

_He'd promised himself a long time ago he'd do that._

"_I love you, Hinata."_

"_Don't say that!" Her voice squeaked in consternation._

_Now it was Kiba's turn to stare with one eye brow raised. "Why not?" _

"_Because it's something people say when they're about to die!" Hinata cried angrily, "And you're not going to die!"_

_Kiba closed his eyes softly and said, "I don't know if I'm gonna die or not… but it's true all the same. I love you."_

"_Stop it."_

"_No, listen…" Kiba, ever the single minded, tried to sit up but fell back down with a grunt, "I know you like… Naruto but he's not-"_

"_He asked me out today."_

"_Oh… shit." Kiba said softly, feeling horrible like she'd just stuck his heart in a cement mixer. Then a glimmer of hope shot through his mind, "What'd you say?"_

"_I said yes."_

_The glimmer went out and Kiba grimaced again. He couldn't tell which was worse, the pain in his heart or the pain in his gut. They were both about equal. Still… it was what Hinata wanted that mattered. Kiba would have to be the bigger man._

"_Oh." He said, nodding weakly, "Okay…"_

_And he let the darkness over take him. Hana would yell at him. The Inuzukas are fighters, she would say but… he felt so extraordinarily tired and the darkness was nice and warm. The last thing he heard, as he drifted away, was Hinata's voice, screaming at him._

"_KIBA! KIBA! NO!"_

_And then he died._

"He's a coma."

"A coma?" The Hyuga heiress's voice was soft and frighten like a scared kitten.

"Aye." Hana Inuzuka looked tired. It was about six o'clock in the morning. Usually a normal Shinobi was up by now, with the exception of Shikamaru Nara, but Hana had been roused four hours ago and informed that her brother was dying. Fortunately, it hadn't come to that.

"I suppose we have you to thank for that, Hinata." She continued, lethargically, "If you hadn't found him and brought him back here when you did, he'd be dead. So thank you."

It was not Hana Inuzuka's nature to be rude but under the circumstances she was excused. Her brother's teammates were just grateful that he wasn't dead. Not that the Aburame's continence betrayed any emotion of any kind. For her part, Hinata merely sighed and closed her eyes.

"How long?" Shino asked.

Hana shrugged, "Two days…two weeks…a year… forever. The doctors don't know. He's a total vegetable, fed through I.V." She smiled sadly, "I never thought I'd live to see the day Kiba sat still that long."

"Can we see him?" Hinata asked.

"No." Kiba's sister sighed and brushed a tear from her eye with the back of her wrist, "They want to run a few more tests. Maybe tomorrow. Go home now, both of you. There's nothing more you can do here and you need to get some sleep. And thank you."

She sounded so tired that Hinata did not question her. She was certain she would not sleep that night, although she'd never been more exhausted in her life. Kiba's voice would continue to haunt her:

"_I don't know if I'm gonna die or not… but it's true all the same. I love you."_

But Hana couldn't know that. Hinata hadn't told anyone what Kiba had said to her. She didn't want to embarrass him, to put his heart and secrets on display for everyone to see when he couldn't even defend himself.

_Oh, God!_ She thought, praying that she had no more tears left inside her. She was so tired of crying.

To her relief, no tears came, not even when she hugged Kiba's sister and made her way towards the door. It was Shino, surprisingly, who lingered.

"How's Akamaru?"

Hana looked up and for the first time since the news of Kiba's injury, she smiled for real. "Much better now, thank you. A little banged up but no worse for the wear. Worried sick about Kiba but…" She swallowed hard and continued, "it was your bugs that saved him, Shino."

"Good." Shino nodded, "Good."

They did not need goodbyes. In this situation, they seemed frivolous. Shino simply turned and followed Hinata out the door and Hana watched after them. Almost immediately she regretted sending the two of them away. She didn't want to be alone tonight…

"Why the hell am I still here?" Inuzuka Kiba glared down at his own broken body in disgust.

"Because you are not dead yet, Kiba."

"You call that alive?" Kiba snorted, gesturing around the hospital room, "With all due respect, Hokage, there's a fuckin' machine doin' my breathing for me! That is not alive!"

"He didn't say you were alive." The fourth Hokage said, glancing down at Kiba and Kiba's body, "He just said you weren't dead."

"Big fucking difference."

"He's got quite the mouth on him, doesn't he?" The fourth commented dryly.

"Now, now, Yondaime, remember what you were like when you died?" The third Hokage smiled indulgently.

"Yeah. Those were crazy times." Yondaime smiled and then frowned, "Wait, how do you know what I was like when I died?"

"Hishirama told me."

"Good old Hishirama!" Yondaime grinned, "Hey where is he?"

"Hanging out with Tobirami. Woman's bath house."

"Dirty old dead guys." The fourth smiled and looked back at Kiba, "Yeah, I guess I shouldn't judge. This kid hasn't even got laid yet."

"How the hell would you know?" Kiba said defensively.

"You know what the dead do with most of their time?" Yondaime continued to smile, "Watch the living. Especially in the shower. Seriously, what's wrong with you?"

"Interesting as the discussion of my sexual activities-"

"Lack thereof, more like it." The fourth would not let it go, "Seriously, are you gay or just sterile?"

"Interesting as that is-" Kiba continued, "Could we get back to why I'm not dead? Why am I floating here in this limbo, purgatory fun house?"

"Well, Kiba, to be honest, we didn't really know what to do with you." The third sighed, "You've led a fairly decent life-"

"Though you can be a jerk at times." Yondaime added.

"But it's incomplete. We feel you could have done more."

"Well no shit, I could have done more!" Kiba shouted, "I'm twenty one years old for god's sake! I haven't even got laid yet!"

Yondaime giggled.

"So what happens?" Kiba asked, "Do I get back into my body and go on as normal or am I stuck here?"

"The real question is does anybody want you back on the planet?" Yondaime asked, "No, not does anybody just want you on the planet, does anyone need you on the planet. Ninjas are a dime a dozen but does anybody care about you, Kiba Inuzuka, specifically?"

"My family." Kiba answered quickly, pointing to his mother, asleep in a hospital chair, "Mom, Hana, Akamaru-"

"Nope!" Yondaime said, "Familial love doesn't count. They're obligated. Neither does Platonic, in case you're thinking of citing Akamaru or Shino, though Aburame doesn't really seem the type. I'm talking specifics, Kiba."

"Hinata."

"Well give the little boy a big cigar." The fourth smiled and leaned back, "Hinata Hyuga. How long have you liked her?"

"Since I was fifteen."

"Six years, damn! No wonder you can't get laid."

"I didn't know what it was at first." Kiba admitted, "At first I thought she was just hot."

"A common mistake." The fourth said sympathetically, "So you love her and she knows about this?"

Kiba nodded, "Last thing I told her before I passed out."

"Does she reciprocate?"

"No." He sighed dejectedly, "She's dating Naruto."

"Doesn't mean anything."

"She's liked him for about a decade."

"Also does not mean a thing." The fourth said exuberantly, "Though it does put a damper on things. It's harder to change a person's mind about something they've believed for a long time. But, nevertheless! Kiba!"

Kiba looked up.

"You need to make this girl love you, Kiba! It's the only way you'll get back into your body. Either that or get her to admit she's already in love with you. Same thing really."

"What?"

"You. Need. To. Make. Her-"

"I heard what you said!" Kiba rolled his eyes, "What I mean is, how am I suppose get Hinata to…care…about me when I'm in a goddamn coma? I assume the living can't see us."

"You assume correctly." Said the third, "However, you can appear to her in dreams. Human beings are more receptive to the spirit world when they are asleep. Also, animals, particularly ones you share a strong bond with will recognize you."

"Akamaru?" Kiba actually grinned at the prospect of seeing his old friend.

The Third nodded, "Also, other humans may sense your presence, though they won't recognize it."

"This still puts me at a disadvantage." Kiba said, thinking of solid, visible Naruto whom Hinata had liked since their academy days.

"Love conquers all." The Fourth said, "It's your only chance to be fully alive again, Kiba. If you can get Hinata to say she loves you **and **mean it or prove that she loves you in some significant way, you go back in your body, no harm, no foul."

"And if I can't?"

"Things stay the same way. You spend the rest of your life eating through a tube and shitting in your bed and your friends and family move on with their lives. If they don't cut off life support before you die, that is."

"Crap." Kiba didn't like the thought, "So I've basically got until I die, one way or the other?"

"Yep." Yondaime said cheerfully, "But it gets harder the longer it takes. People start to forget you. You become dead to them.

"I don't wanna die." Kiba said, think of all the people he cared about. Hinata, Akamaru, His mother, Hana, Shino, Kurenai… the list went on and on. All of the things he hadn't done. There was so much life out there for him. He wanted to live.

"Well then…" Yondaime said, "You'd better get started."


	2. Chapter 2

"Not having a body takes some getting used to, hunh?" The Yondaime floated effortlessly beside him as Kiba wandered the streets of Konoha, trying to figure out what he was going to do.

"Yeah." He nodded; "I keep wanting to use my hands but-" He walked through a telephone pole, "I forget I'm not solid anymore."

"There are advantages though." The fourth smiled up at the clouds, "Why don't you fly?"

"I like walking." Kiba shrugged, "Its good exercise."

"You know… you're not really walking. "

"Shut up."

"Suit yourself." Yondaime yawned. The third had left to check up on his grandson and do some meditating, though Yondaime had said he was going to join the first and second at the woman's bath. The fourth had elected to stay with Kiba because this situation was "the most interesting thing since the Uchiha massacre." Kiba said the fourth was warped.

"So what's your plan?" The fourth asked eagerly, "What are you gonna do first?"

"Find Hinata."

"Woo! Going straight to the good stuff, hunh?"

"Well, Akamaru is still in the hospital so-"

"Maybe she'll be taking a shower!"

"You're a pervert, you know that?" Kiba said, wondering if it was possibly for a ghost to go red. It was.

"Heh, you're blushing." Yondaime said, "Come on, Kiba, lighten up! You'd think being dead would give you some perspective on life."

"I'm not dead."

"Dead, in a deep coma, same diff!"

"Not."

"The point is-!" The Yondaime said, importantly, "Life is too short not to eat ice cream and look at naked girls whenever possible! Think about it! You could be permanently dead tomorrow and you've never gotten laid! At the very least you could give yourself some quality time." He gestured crudely with his right hand.

"I think whacking off when you're not solid would be kind of pointless."

"You'd be surprised. Why do you think Hiruzen went to the woman's bath today?"

"Who?"

"The third."

"Oh yeah." It was difficult for Kiba to think of The Third Hokage as having a first name. He wondered vaguely what Yondaime's real name was but decided he didn't need to know. It was alright for Yondaime to float aimlessly around, amusing himself and looking at naked women; he was already dead. Kiba, however, had a body to come back to. He had a life and he wanted it back. So what started a friendship bloomed into lust, bloomed into love, bloomed into a matter of life and death. Get the girl, get the body.

Hinata Hyuga. The unofficial princess of Konoha. Heir to Byugakan Empire, one of the most carefully guarded secrets of Konoha. The girl he loved. The girl who loved Naruto Uzumaki.

And **now **he liked her back. Now… after…Kiba forgot how many years. Since the academy, she'd like him. A since that time up till apparently yesterday, all Naruto had on his mind was ramen, becoming Hokage, more ramen, Sakura Haruno, Ramen, Sasuke Uchiha and… Ramen.

_God, _Kiba thought, _what a complicated and multi-level personality! No wonder Hinata likes him!_

And **now **the stupid blonde bastard reciprocated! Now! When Kiba needed her most! Now when it wasn't just a question of waiting for Hinata to wake up, realize Naruto was an idiot who was not worth her time, and notice that it was Kiba she really loved. Then there was the waiting game to see which of them spoke up first.

She was the only girl who could make him nervous. There were a million reasons he couldn't ask her out. She was a teammate, she liked Naruto, he didn't fancy having his ass kicked by Neji Hyuga, Akamaru would get annoyed at being left behind all the time (there were some things you did not bring your dog to) and too many more to even think about. But the real reason he couldn't ask her was….she might say no. And then what? He'd rather have a yearning heart that a broken one.

Now the situation was slightly more complicated. Now it wasn't even a question of asking her out. Now it was a matter of love. There was a subtle difference between burgers and soda pop and a life time commitment. He supposed that was what love was. Now, if she said no or even just didn't say yes, he lost more than Hinata and his ego. He lost everything, Hinata, Akamaru, his family, Shino, Kurenai…the whole nine yards. He didn't imagine his ego would come away unscathed either.

_Who the hell am I kidding? _He stared at the huge dark wood gate that guarded The Hyuga compound, _Why the hell would she ever love me? She's Hinata Hyuga, princess of all Konoha, from the oldest family in the village. And I…I am the dog boy…no, _He looked down at himself, seeing the wet road from last night rain through his own transparent feet; _I'm not even dog boy anymore._

"Hey." The Yondaime peered down sternly into his eyes, "Don't even **think **of giving up."

He was right. After all this was over, he might end up with nothing, but if Kiba did nothing… he would.

Without saying another word, Kiba stepped through the gate.

* * *

"You're going to open your wounds, you know." Neji's voice was calm as always. Hinata paid it no attention. She continued to practice her technique, stretching what little was left of her chakra out, thin and flexible. It was the only thing that helped. The only way she could stop thinking about-

"_He- Hinata?"_

_Kiba…_ She struggled to keep back the tears, _Kiba, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry!_

"Hinata…" Kiba whispered, watching her. Of course, she couldn't hear him. She couldn't see him either or the tall blonde man standing beside him. They'd cleaned her up at the hospital but you couldn't tell from the sight of her. Hinata stood there, battered and bruised, her hair mussed and her palms and body sweating. Her eyes closed and she swayed dangerously. Forgetting he couldn't hold on to things anymore, Kiba moved to catch her. He failed, of course, she slipped through his ghostly fingers but Neji moved like lightening and caught her before her head hit the ground.

"I should have been there!" She sobbed achingly into the croak of her cousin's arm, "I should have been there, Neji, I could have stopped it!"

"Shhh." Neji said. The Hyuga was clearly not good at comforting.

"We had to split up!" Hinata's breath came in gasps and sobs, in and out, "Kiba followed them! He was all alone, even Akamaru-! God, I should have been there! It's all my fault! I could have stopped it!"

"Shh, Hinata!" Neji said sharply, "This was not your fault."

That only caused Hinata to cry harder and Kiba wondered morosely if he had another rival to worry about. Still, he couldn't help but feel morbidly happy that she blamed herself, that she was crying for him. That had to be a good sign. At least she cared about him.

"This is not your fault." Neji repeated, "Now get up. You aren't doing Kiba any good killing yourself over this."

"Thank you, Neji." Hinata rose wearily, "I think I'll go to bed now."

"I think that's a good idea." This was as kind as Kiba had ever seen him, "I'll send the maid up later with some tea. You should eat something."

Hinata nodded, though the last thing she felt like doing was eating.

"Now's your chance!" The fourth said excitedly, "Remember what the third said? She can see you when she's asleep."

How could he forget? But still, Kiba hesitated;

"I don't want to hurt her." He said.

"It's that or die." Yondaime said, sympathetically, and Kiba floated to the second story where Hinata's bedroom was.

She fell asleep almost the second her body hit the mattress. Hinata didn't know when she was more exhausted or grateful for her own bed and a chance to sleep.

"So how exactly do I do this?" Kiba asked, staring at her prostrate body. Hinata hadn't even bothered to remove her clothing; she'd simply flopped on to the bed, completely passed out, "Go into her dream or whatever?"

"Through the mouth." Yondaime grinned.

"The what?"

"The mouth. Kiss her, moron."

"Right." Kiba muttered, wondering what the point was of kissing a person when you weren't solid. Still Yondaime probably knew what he was talking about, having been dead longer. He crouched down by the edge of Hinata's bed, where she rested, arms lying long next to her body, knees bent, her soft pink lips opened slightly. Wishing Yondaime wouldn't stare; Kiba pressed his lips against hers, her sweet scent intoxicating him…

_At first, he couldn't believe his eyes. Kiba stared down at his own body. He looked solid. Fearing the results, he raised his right hand and clenched his forearm. Yep, it was solid alright. Then he looked around._

_It seemed that the world was empty. Logic told him this was Hinata's dream, but it was the strangest dream he'd ever been in. It appeared he was the only one here, there were no trees or buildings or scenery of any kind. And the entire world was pink… or was it? The color seemed to be constantly changing and small white veins ran across the sky and walls at random intervals. Kiba tried not to concern himself with the colors but rather with the fact that he was alone. Was it legal, he wondered, not to show up for your own dream?_

_Then he was not alone. Hinata stood across from him, starring weakly into his eyes. _

"_Ki-Kiba…" She whispered._

"_Hi." Kiba took a step forwards and almost immediately he was barely a foot away from her. They were dressed in their normal clothing and Hinata shock slightly as he looked at her. Kiba couldn't think what to say. All this trouble to get here and he couldn't think of anything to say to her._

"_What's up?"_

"_Oh, Kiba!" Hinata fell sobbing into his arms, "Kiba, I'm so sorry!"_

"_Shhh. Shhh, Hina." Kiba comforted weakly. Kind words and flowery speeches were not his forte. They weren't his experience. Dogs didn't have to do this shit. It was mainly humping and barks. He had never wanted to love her; he never wanted to love anyone. Whenever a girl started getting that look in her eye (it didn't happen often but it did happen) Kiba got the hell away. But loving Hinata had snuck up on him. He hadn't seen this coming and now, she was so soft in his arms._

"_I'm sorry. I'm sorry."_

"_Shhh…Don't apologize. It's not your fault." He said softly._

"_It is." Hinata looked at him, "I'm your teammate, I'm supposed to have your back, remember? God, Kiba, I thought you were dead."_

"_I'm not dead." He whispered, kissing her softly, "I wouldn't leave you. I love you."_

"_Oh, Kiba I-"_

"Hinata?" Neji's voice was soft but loud enough to break the spell. Kiba felt himself thrown forcibly out of the dream world as Hinata opened her eyes.

"FUCK!" He screamed in frustration, wondering how the hell a ghost could feel pain.

"Neji?" Hinata rubbed her eyes. Tears seemed to have spurted out spontaneously. She was used to that but what had caused them. Oh yes. The memories came flooding back to her. She'd dreamed about Kiba.

"I'm sorry to disturb you but you have a visitor." Neji spoke outside the door.

"Who?" Kiba and Hinata spoke in unison.

"Naruto Uzumaki." Neji said with distaste, "Do you want to see him?"

"No!" Kiba said quickly, casting a pleading glance at Hinata.

"Yes." She spoke softly and Kiba groaned. He watched as Hinata rose and walked across the room to where her cousin waited and floated morosely after her, remarking to Yondaime;

"I was so close. I was so fucking close!"

Naruto Uzumaki, blonde haired A.D.D child of Konoha ("Hey, Hinata! I wanna be Hokage! I like to eat Ramen! Sasuke's a prick and yet he's my best friend! Look, a butterfly! Look, a fire truck! Boogers!") stood in the middle of the courtyard, shading his eye from the sun to try and see Hinata. He couldn't see Kiba or Yondaime but Kiba saw him and glared. He didn't used to hate Naruto. Actually he kind of liked the guy but now that he was the major issue standing between him and his body, Kiba wanted him dead.

"Hey, Hinata." Naruto grinned on of his trade mark grins, "You ready? We were supposed to have Ramen, remember?"

_Ramen. _Kiba thought in disgust as he floated down to where Naruto stood and Hinata made her way down the steps, _Real fucking original, idiot!_

"S-Sorry, Naruto…" She said softly, "I can't."

"Why?" Naruto looked confused. Clearly the news of Kiba's condition hadn't spread to him.

"Because I love Kiba who will be returning to his body momentarily!" Kiba spoke for her, hoping he was right.

"Kiba's in the hospital."

"Well, at least you were in it." Yondaime said, cheerfully.

"Shut up."

"Really?" Naruto looked more interested than upset, "How bad is he?"

"He's in a coma." Hinata appeared to have lost her stutter, "The doctors don't know how long it'll last. He might never come out of it so-"

"Yeah, I got ya." Naruto nodded sympathetically, "Ramen's not exactly the first thing on your mind."

"Well, thank you, Captain Obvious!" Kiba said sarcastically, but Hinata merely nodded.

"Thank you for understanding." She said.

"Hey, no problem." Naruto sidled over, putting his arm around Hinata, and kissed her lightly on the forehead, "I hope he gets better. Maybe…we could reschedule for next week? "

"No." Kiba moaned, "No, no, no, please, Hinata, say no!"

"O-okay." Hinata had turned bright red and smiled in spite of herself. At least she wasn't fainting every time he touched her, "N-next week."

"Cool." Naruto kissed her again and walked towards the gate, "its date."

"Bye, Naruto." Hinata said.

Kiba followed after him, swearing under his breath. He heard Neji vaguely mention dinner and Hinata agreed that she ought to eat something.

"Hey!" Yondaime called after him, "Where're you going? She might go to sleep again!"

"So?" Kiba asked sourly, "Naruto will probably be there. Three's a crowd, ya know?"

He didn't really want to talk to Hinata right now, but he couldn't give up entirely. Maybe Shino would have some ideas. He was always the smarter of the two of them.

* * *

Author's Note: This was originally written before the Shippuden where Hinata(Spoilers) confesses her love for Naruto and all that.


	3. Chapter 3

Shino Aburame stood alone at the edge of his family's property. There would be no more training for him tonight. His bugs were tired and his chakra supply ridiculously low. All he was capable of now was staring at the moon. But as he watched the shining sliver orb, in the back of his mind, Shino knew that Kiba Inuzuka was lying in a hospital bed and it was his fault.

It was his mission, he had been the leader, he had been responsible for them. But Shino never thought that Kiba Inuzuka would go down like that. Caught from behind by rogue grass ninja! In all fairness to Kiba, he'd been separated from Akamaru and there had been at least three of them. Doppelgangers in all likelihood but solid- like the kind skilled Jonin made. He was out numbered, running low on chakra and separated from his team but, then again, not all of the blood was Kiba's.

It was Hinata who found him. Shino had dispatched of his opponent easily with the help of his kikkai bugs and Hinata displayed some fairly ingenious chakra control to get rid of hers. They found Akamaru first. The bastards had used fast acting biological weapons. The poison was well on its way to destroying Kiba's dog permanently. And Akamaru was the strongest of all the Inuzuka dogs. None of the others had grown to such monstrous proportions or had such skill in human ninjetsu. But even Akamaru was no mach for something one millionth his size.

Fortunately Shino's bugs were. They had to be. Kiba would kill him if Shino let Akamaru die. He wondered morbidly what Akamaru would do if Kiba was dead in the morning.

"Doesn't anybody sleep in this goddamn town?" Kiba groaned when he saw Shino, "I'm going to be a ghost forever because everyone I know is a fucking insomniac!"

"Hey, give the guy a break." Yondaime said, "His teammate's in a coma."

"Naw! Really?"

"Shino!" The Aburame looked up as his father's voice called him from the house. Other ninjas might have moved out by the time they reached twenty two but not Shino. Did bees leave the hive? Or ants the hill?

"Father?" Shibi Aburame was basically a taller Shino with a bigger 'fro and more scars. Kiba wondered fleetingly what his own father looked like. The bastard had split before Kiba was born and he secretly envied Shino his relationship with his father. The Aburames didn't talk much but they were there when you need them. With a few minor exceptions.

* * *

"_Gah!" The blood splashed out through his lips. Kiba had never felt such pain before, not since he battled Sakon and Ukon in the search for Sasuke Uchiha. That was his own fault though. It was lucky Kankuro of the Sand had been there. Kiba wondered who would save his ass this time._

"_Hey, hold on a sec!" The rogue rock ninja stopped his muscular comrade who was currently punching Kiba in the stomach._

"_Why?" The other ninja asked rudely. Kiba was glad for the release though. It gave him a second to think and that was all he needed. He hadn't lost much blood yet, he could win this still if he played his cards right…_

"_I think I know this brat." The man's thin chapped lips cracked into a grin, "Yeah, I know this punk."_

"_Now, how the fuck would you know this kid?" The other asked, "Look at him! Can't be more 'n nineteen and we aint been here for thirty odd years."_

"_Naw, you look at him!" The rock ninja laughed and his fingers wrenched around the boy's bangs cocking his head back. Kiba winced in pain but continued to reach for his kunai knives. If only Akamaru were here…one dose of Gatsuga would settle these fucks right! But the little dog had been clear, retrieve the scrolls and the culprits, I'll handle these pussy cats! Sometimes Kiba questioned who was the master in that relationship._

"_Look under his eyes! Red Triangles!" he gestured to Kiba's "fangs", "Don't that remind you of the shinobi we faced in the Rock Leaf wars? Didn't he have those same marks?"_

"_Yeah…yeah, he did." The other man regarded Kiba carefully, "But this kid's way too young to have been in that war."_

"_Idiot!" The first man slapped him, "'Course he wasn't in the wars! He's way too young but, I'm tellin' you I know those marks! What was that guys name? Yukio Inuduka or something. Hey, Kid! What's your name?"_

"_Fuck…you!" Kiba shouted, launching towards his enemy, Kunai knives drawn. But the talk of his father had made him hot headed and unsteady. The large man's hand caught round his throat and he was thrown to the ground. Blood smattered on his face and Kiba grinned ruefully. At least he got some fighting in._

"_Heh, stupid kid." The other ninja bent over him, "Now I asked you a question. You wanna live any longer, you're gonna wanna answer it. Now, what the fuck's your name?"_

_Kiba thought about it. The Inuzukas had no fear of death. They were one of the oldest families in Konoha, almost as old as Hyuga. Kiba had been taught early on that Death was natural, the big sleep, the reward for service to Konoha. Peace at last. You saw your dead relatives and played with your dogs for eternity. But his dog would not be there and…death was for those who had lived a full life, wild old men. He thought of his family, of Shino and Akamaru…he wanted to see them all again so badly. And… Hinata._

"_Kiba… Inuzuka."_

"_What?"_

"_Kiba…!" God, but his throat was dry! His own name stuck between his chapped lips, "Inuzuka!"_

"_That's the name!" The rouge shinobi shouted victoriously, "Yukio Inuzuka with red triangles under his eyes. That fucker! So you're his son or something, right?"_

_Kiba said nothing._

"_Listen, here, kid." He said, "You know who I am? I'm Maro Ukana and they kicked me outta Iwagakure 'cause I like to kill people. Something fucked up in my psychology. See once I get started killin' people, I don't stop. Everybody I've tried to kill, I've kill. All except one. Yukio Inuzuka with red triangles. You should be proud, I've killed 999 Shinobi. Your old man shoulda made it a thousand. Where is he?"_

"_Dunno…" Kiba coughed, wondering why he was telling this bastard anything, "Dead."_

"_Dead?!" Ukana looked pissed, "You mean some other fucker got to him first! God __**DAMN IT!**__" He looked at his friend, "The ONE guy I didn't kill."_

"_Guess you'll just have to settle for junior there." The big one shrugged._

"_You're an asexual putz, Ryu." Maro groaned, "You're big fat brain can't even fucking grasp the subtleties of ART! But you might be right." He looked back at Kiba, "Got to do it slow. Get two deaths in one."_

_He drew his Kunai knife and Kiba began to struggle violently._

"_Hold him still." Maro said, "The other Inuzuka had a big fucking dog with him."_

"_Karuga took care of that." Ryu said, "Do it quick, Maro."_

"_Fuck you. I have to get a two fer in here. One thousand and one deaths. How do you like that, Inuzuka?"_

_Akamaru… Kiba thought, hoping his dog was alright, Hinata…_

_Maro Ukana, the man who loved to kill people, drew his kunai and Kiba grimaced, bracing himself for the pain to come._

* * *

"You have a visitor." Shibi's voice brought him back to reality.

"Who?" Shino asked, displaying absolutely no emotion. He rarely got visitors unless it was a mission but the Hokage had been informed of Kiba's condition. She wouldn't be so callous as to assign another while his friend was in the hospital. And anyway, you always got a day or two or three or five off between missions.

"Hana Inuzuka."

Shino was not known for his exuberant displays of emotion. He was not known for emotion of any kind. In fact, ignorant people, Naruto Uzumaki for one, sometimes believed he did not have emotions. Kiba knew better. He'd been Shino's teammate almost ten years. He, Hinata and Kurenai knew that Shino Aburame felt just a deeply and profoundly as anyone else and they how to tell Shino's emotions from small changes in his body language and mannerisms.

At the sound of his sister's name, Kiba saw Shino flinch. It was a small movement, so unexceptional that he couldn't quite be sure he had seen it. A blink of the eye, a small constriction in Shino's lungs, that was all.

"Why?" The voice was also constricted and Kiba raised an eyebrow. Something was definitely up.

"News about Kiba, I suppose." Shibi said, "Do you want to see her?"

"Yes." Shino regained his composure and followed after his father. Kiba stared after them and turned to Yondaime.

"Now what was that all about?"

"Hmm?" Yondaime looked up from his ghostly fingers, "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention. Between a boy who can't talk and a boy who won't talk, I'm bored out of my freaking mind. Honestly, Kiba, I expected better of you. You've been in a coma for hours and not one naked girl. Shame, shame."

Kiba ignored this. If Yondaime wanted naked girls, he could go to the bathhouse with the rest of the Hokages. He never knew the leaders and legends of Konoha were such pervs.

_When Tsunade dies, she'll kill them all._

"I'm going after them." He said, "I wanna hear what sis has to say."

Yondaime sighed, "Might as well but you won't be back in your body until the Hinata business is sorted out."

"No shit." Kiba groaned.

"I would have thought you'd still be at the hospital." Shino said.

"They kicked me out." Hana scowled, "Rather unceremoniously."

"How is Kiba?"

"He's stable." She sighed, "They ran all the usual tests. Blood clots, brain damage, poison-"

"I checked for poison." Shino's voice was calm but both Hana and Kiba, sitting invisibly between them, could tell that he was harshly offended.

"You know how doctors are." Hana rolled her eyes, "They're all civilians, fat and comfortable with no faith in the ninja that keep them that way. I swear to god they think Kiba earned this."

She blinked sharply and Kiba knew she was holding back tears, "Its okay, Sis." He floated over the furniture that separated them and put his arm around her shoulders, "I'm gonna be okay."

"She can't hear you, you know." Yondaime said softly.

"Yeah, I know."

Hana wiped tears away with the back of her hand, "Anyway, they can't figure out what's wrong with him.

"He's in a coma, isn't he?" Shino said, bluntly, "That's what's wrong with him!"

Hana blinked and smiled softly, "My God, Shino." She whispered, "I don't think I've ever seen you this excited."

"Me neither." Kiba stared at his friend.

"Not excited." Shino said, regaining his composure once again, "I just- Just angry."

"At who?'

Shino looked away. He didn't turn or flinch but somehow she knew that beneath though dark, rimless glasses he always wore, his eyes avoided hers. "He was on my team." Shino muttered finally, "I was the leader. I'm supposed to keep my teammates safe. I failed to do so."

"Nobody can keep Kiba out of trouble." Hana said, "I'd like to see you try."

Shino ignored her. "It's my fault he's like this."

"Kiba knew what being a ninja meant. You didn't choose that for him."

"How can they not know what's wrong with him?" Shino asked in a desperate attempt to change the subject.

"They don't know why he's in a coma. Well, obviously its from loss of blood but now that he's on I.V…after a few hours he should have come around."

"It's only been a few hours."

"Almost twenty four." Hana said, "It's night again Shino."

"I hadn't noticed."

"Your father told me you'd been outside since you came back from the hospital."

"It doesn't matter. What about Kiba?"

"They think he should have been awake by now-"

"You said at the hospital they didn't know."

"That's what they told me!" Hana said bitterly, "Believe me, Shino, if I had thought my brother was going to be alright, I would have been shouting it from the roof tops!"

"I'm gonna be okay!" Kiba shouted, "Hana! I'm gonna be okay, got it?!"

"He'll be okay, Hana." Shino said softly. He felt like he should comfort her, pat her on the back or touch her hand or something. But Shino didn't touch people as a rule. Especially not girls. Total isolation was better than the shriek he heard every time his bugs got a little too friendly. Kiba and Hinata were his only real friends. The youngest Aburame kept to himself for the most part. It wasn't that he didn't like people; Shino had just been hurt once too often.

"He won't wake up." She was actually crying now. Shino had never seen her cry, "He won't wake up and they don't know why. There's nothing wrong with him… not physically except… he just won't wake up. Akamaru hasn't even seen him yet and my mother…" Her voice trailed off into a silent sob.

She cried softly and for a long while, Shino did not know what to do. Or rather he did know what to do but couldn't bear to take the risk.

"I'm sorry, Shino." Hana stood, her voice hollow, wiping her eyes, "I hate crying. I don't do it a lot. It's weak…pointless… doesn't help him. I'm just- I'm just a little stressed right now."

"Yeah." Shino nodded weakly.

"Well, I should go. I just came to-" Hana sighed, "I forgot why."

"Kiba." He supplied, "To tell me about Kiba."

"Yeah." It was her turn to nod weakly.

"Did you tell Hinata and Kurenai?"

"Told Kurenai. Tried to tell Hinata but Neji told me she was sleeping and I didn't want to wake her."

Kiba moaned at the lost opportunity.

"I'll tell her tomorrow." Hana said, "You can stop by the hospital then if you want to."

"I will. Thank you, Hana."

"I should go." Hana said again, though it seemed to Kiba that she did not really want to.

"I'll show you to the door." Shino stood and they left the room. Kiba followed through the long halls of the Aburame complex. So the doctors didn't know what keep him from waking up. Well, neither did Kiba if it came to that. He wished that fate would make up its mind. People wanted him on this earth. Hana worried over him, Shino blamed himself and Hinata… well, she couldn't want him dead.

_She might not want me either way. _Kiba thought sadly.

When they reached the outside, Hana lingered.

"Thank you, Shino." She said.

"For what?" He asked, taken aback.

"For listening." Hana smiled softly and turned back to her three dogs, the Haimaru triplets. Shino watched them go. Hana leaned over to whisper something to her dogs and he couldn't help himself.

"Hana!"

She stopped and looked at him. Her eye brows rose slightly and Shino forgot what he was going to say. He struggled for a moment, trying to think of something but-

"Get- Get some sleep, alright? You need it."

Hana smiled softly and nodded, "Yeah, I probably do. Goodnight, Shino."

"Goodnight."

"Well, that was interesting!" Yondaime said brightly.

"What are you talking about?" Kiba said, "They don't know why I won't wake up, probably because its about the stupidest reason in the world and Hana needs to sleep. Big whoop."

"You." Yondaime drawled, "Are. So. Ridiculously. Clueless."

"What are you talking about?"

"If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you."

"Fine." Kiba said, irritably, deciding he was thoroughly sick of the fourth Hokage.

"Where are we going now?"

"You can go where ever you want to." Kiba said, "I'm going back to the hospital."

"Why?"

"My chakra feels totally out of whack and I want to see my dog. That and somebody ought to be looking out for my body."

"Good idea." Yondaime said approvingly, "Can't get back into your body if there's no body to return to. That, however, sounds even more boring than the past few hours. So I'm going to go scare some school kids."

And, before Kiba could ask how he would do that, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

_I gotta learn how he does that. _Kiba thought, feeling more exhausted then he'd ever felt in his life.

* * *

So, yeah chapter three. Reviews are cool.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

"This fucker is living my life." Kiba remarked darkly watching Naruto walk a smiling Hinata home from a date. It was the shy, bashful smile Hinata reserved for Naruto, not the great laughing one she gave Kiba when he happened to say something amusing. Kiba liked that smile far better.

He spoke to no one in particular. Not that it mattered. Now that no one could see him, it didn't matter if he looked crazy or not.

"_Maybe we could reschedule for… next week?"_

Kiba remembered his words clearly. Next week… seven days on all usual calendars… enough time for Kiba to visit Hinata again, get over any conceived slight that entered into his mind and see about getting his body back. But he had been injured on a Friday (Kiba tried to avoid using words such as "killed" or "dead") and it was only three days before The Uzamaki was to knock on her door again. Kiba felt a certain gratitude to Neji. His cold and disdainful demeanor seemed even more frozen around Naruto. Not that he noticed.

Hinata laughed nervously at something Naruto said and Kiba's ears picked up. Apparently the wonder boy of Konoha was deathly amusing.

_Don't say death. _Kiba thought darkly.

Their date had been short… and predictable. First ramen (THERE ARE OTHER FOODS, MORON!) followed by a movie in which Hinata giggled and blushed shyly and Naruto tired the old yawn arm over shoulder trick. Boy, if Kiba had had a body…

"Hey, wassup?" Yondaime appeared from nowhere, a mischievous grin plastered on his face. He took in the situation immediately, "Oh, they're on a date. Tough break, kid."

"Yeah, not like I didn't see it coming." Kiba said morosely, "Where have you been for the past couple of days?"

"Oh, you know me, just… floating here and floating there." Yondaime flittered his hand in front of him to illustrate the phenomenon, "You know Shikamaru Nara's become involved with that lovely Kunoichi from the sand? She's a fiery little thing but I can't seem to remember her name."

"Temari." Kiba wasn't sure why he was even involved with this conversation.

"That's it!" The fourth said triumphantly, "Quite the little triangle going on there. Ino Yamanaka doesn't approve in the least."

"Ino likes Sasuke."

"She got over that years ago, ever since he left the village and Shikamaru started taking off his shirt on hot summer days... Where _**have **_you _**been**_, Kiba?"

"_**Training**_…" If he had had teeth, they would have been clenched, "In a _**body**_…"

"Well, not that you're not interesting!" Yondaime said consolingly, "Besides Temari- that is the name, right?- Temari's gone home, apparently her brother's the Kazekage, and I thought I'd see how you were doing!" He glanced over at Naruto and Hinata, "Not too well, I see."

"I'm just hoping he won't try and kiss her." Kiba sighed, "She'd let him, you know. She loves him."

"Now, don't give up." Yondaime said, "You don't know that for sure. I doubt she does either."

"What do you mean?"

"The heart is a complicated thing, Kiba." Yondaime adopted the wise, advice giving air that was usually attributed to the third Hokage. "You think you want something for most of your life and then it turns out you want something else. Or sometimes the things you want and the things you need are two separate things and you have to make a choice. Or you know what you want and it's completely unattainable."

Kiba stared at him. "You're just here to amuse yourself." He said. Serious topics of discussion made him uncomfortable. He'd avoided them for almost all of his life and maybe that's what put him into this situation.

Yondaime smiled, "That's part of it. Opp! They're home!"

"Correction…" Kiba said, following the fourth's gaze to the young couple, "Hinata's home. They don't live together. It hasn't gone _**that**_ far…yet."

"I-I had a really good time, N-Naruto." Hinata said as they stopped at the gate, "Th-thank you!"

"It was no problem." Naruto smiled and Hinata's blush grew even deeper, "I had a great time too. You're really fun, Hinata."

She blushed deeper and Kiba's stomach turned.

"Really pretty too." Naruto's voice got softer and he closed in around her, "I'd really like to kiss you right now."

"O-okay." Hinata's voice was barely above a whisper, her eyes lock to the ground and cheeks scarlet.

"Oh, shit!" Kiba moaned.

"It's better not to watch." Yondaime said.

"No…" He hadn't felt this shitty since he was put in a coma, "I gotta watch."

Fortunately, Naruto kept neither of them in suspense. He kissed her in an instant. It was a deep kiss, clearly not his first, but mercifully short. His eyes were closed but Hinata kept hers open, her face so red it could have signaled planes. Kiba was torn between wanting to kill Naruto and wanting to kill himself. Things had reached a pretty pass. If Hinata loved him, he could come back to his body. If she didn't, Kiba wouldn't want to.

Naruto broke off, smiled and whispered, "Goodnight."

"G-g-g-g… night." Hinata managed but not before he was a long ways down the road.

"I'lllll leave you alone." Yondaime said awkwardly, "Heh, at least I know you won't try and kill yourself."

Kiba said nothing.

"Right. Too soon. I'll metcha back at the hospital." He waved a ghostly hand and disappeared.

Hinata found it hard to move after Naruto's lips touched hers. Instead she stood outside, leaning heavily on the gate to her house, her breath coming in short gasps and long sighs. How long had she waited for this night…?

Kiba hoped she would not stay out there to long. He wanted to hold her, to kiss her and take her back… as if she was his in the first place. He hoped she would go inside soon. He wanted to hold her but he couldn't…

After a long while, she found the strength to open the gate and slip into the dark courtyard. She found Neji training. This wasn't surprising, it was a little obsessive how that boy trained, but Hinata wondered with a smile if he had been waiting up for her.

"Good time?" He asked, sweat running down his cheek bone.

"Yes." Hinata said with a blush, "Is Hanabi in bed?"

"She's asleep." Neji said and his cousin had said good night and started up the stairs before he said, "Hana Inuzuka stopped by today, after you left."

"_I love you, Hinata."_ Kiba's words came back to her and a pit formed in her stomach.

"She says the dog is getting out tomorrow." Neji said, not noticing the change in his cousin, "No change in Kiba."

"Oh." Hinata's voice was soft and she hurried into her room. When she got there, Kiba floated in through the door and watched her face. With the attention of one who'd loved her for a long time, of course he had noticed her reaction to his name. He was absurdly pleased with it. She still cared! The question was… how much?

Hinata glanced feebly at her bed. If she went to sleep she would only dream about him. Instead she walked to her desk and pulled out a small purple book out of a drawer. Kiba stared at the unfamiliar object. He didn't know Hinata kept a diary but now that he thought about it, it was obvious that she would, she seemed like the type.

_It's his fault. Kiba's I mean. He dropped that bombshell on me… I wasn't prepared for it and now he's… I know I'll have to say it eventually but I don't want to think about it. If he dies… Hana said he wasn't close to death. He's breathing on his own now but they don't know why he won't wake up._

_I feel terrible about this. I find myself wishing… it sounds horrible and it is, but I find myself wishing he wouldn't wake up! I know! I'm a terrible person but… he had no right to tell me that, just out of the blue, at random! I hate thinking about that night and I hate myself for being so petty. Kiba is my teammate… my friend. He's…I want him to wake up, I do but…more than that I want that night to disappear. I want that day to have stopped in the afternoon, before the mission, when Naruto asked me out._

_He was so sweet tonight! He kissed me even! I can hardly believe it! Neji doesn't approve, of course. Neji is much nicer to me since… well, what happened to Kiba. He's a bit protective though, its nice. He's like an older brother or something._

_I've waited for Naruto to like me for…well, forever! And now… if Kiba would just wake up with a big case of amnesia and I could forget that night… my life would be perfect._

Kiba wondered why he put himself through all this. She had proved over and over again that she didn't love him… that she loved Naruto, and yet he continued to follow her around and read over her shoulder about how she wished he wouldn't wake up! And allowed her to crush his heart over and over again, deeper and deeper into the ground! Why couldn't he just accept that she didn't love him and that his body was gone for good and end this stupid, overtly dramatic charade!?

Because he loved her, regardless of how she felt about him, and watching Naruto, watching any man with her only reminded him of the fact. He wanted to touch her, to hold her and speak to her. So he waited and watched until she fell asleep and kissed her on the lips.

_She dreamed about Yashino's, a small ice cream shop in down town Konoha. It was sunny, midday or late morning, and birds sang in the treetops. Hinata sat alone on a chair at a small round table, both of which were so high off the ground that her feet dangled. She sat alone, sipping on something sweet, one hand resting on the table._

_Kiba came forward. He looked as though he had never been attacked but Akamaru was not with him and Hinata knew he had. Her lips parted slightly and her brows knitted close together but Kiba gave a sad smile that begged her not to speak. So she closed her mouth and he sat down, slipping his hand into hers._

_She felt her heart beat quicken at his touch and she glanced up into his eyes. They were serious and… sad, so unlike Kiba. He stared back at her and…she had never noticed how brown his eyes were. Deep brown like the earth. She felt dizzy and her heartbeat pounded in her head. But…was it really hers? She could feel the vibrations, a strong steady beat traveling smoothly up her arm from Kiba's hand. It was his heart beat, Hinata was sure of it and he continued to gaze at her. His gaze was viselike, Hinata couldn't break it, and she wondered why she did not go deaf, her heart was beating so loud and so wildly._

_Suddenly, Naruto popped into the back of her mind and she felt terribly guilty. She looked away then, not knowing what to feel. Kiba's grip tightened painfully around her fingers and she looked back at him. His eyes were filled with terror and he looked down. A red stain of blood grew darker and larger at his stomach… he looked back at her and all at once he was gone!_

"Shit!" Kiba gasped in pain as he was forcibly removed from Hinata's mind, "Shit! Shit!" He looked down at his lack of body, "How can I be bleeding if I don't have a fuckin'-"

"KIBA!" Yondaime appeared violently through the wall, "We have a problem!"

"No… Shit!" Kiba gasped.

"Somebody's attacking your body! Rock ninja. We had a war with them a few years back but this one seemed rouge."

"Fuck." Kiba moaned, remembering Maro Ukana who loved to kill, who had failed only to kill one person- two now, both Inuzukas, who wanted one thousand and one deaths on his record. Kiba cast a fleeting glance at Hinata. She was still asleep but obviously distressed, tossing and turning beneath the covers, tears spurting out of her eyes.

"Get up!" The fourth ordered, "We gotta go!"

"Where?"

"Who can help? Who do you trust?"

"Akamaru." His pain was searing but no blood appeared on his ghostly visage.

"No good." Yondaime said, "He doesn't get out until tomorrow, he's still locked in his room in the clinic."

"Shit… Hana!"

He'd been cursing his sister for locking the clinic like she did every night but Yondaime took it as a suggestion and nodded, "That's good. Anyone else."

"Shino… bugs… always help."

"Alright, lets go." He glanced at Hinata, "Unless-?"

"No!" Kiba shook his head as Yondaime helped him to his feet, "She's already scared."

Yondaime said nothing and with a flash of smoke, they were gone.

Shino slept soundly. It was unusual for him. He'd once told Kiba, by way of an excuse, that the kikkai bug were often restless at night and they kept him up. But tonight Kiba was grateful to the bugs for remaining still and silent when he most needed Shino asleep.

"It doesn't hurt so much now." He said to Yondaime.

The fourth was not please however, "That's a bad sign, Kiba. It means your spirit is losing connection to your body. You might be dying. Better get in there."

He knew the risks were dire but still he hesitated, "I'm… not kissing Shino."

"You idiot! I just told you that to make it interesting! All you have to do is touch him!"

Kiba did not waste time being irritated with Yondaime. Instead he grabbed Shino's shoulder and passed into the Aburame's unconscious.

"_Shino, wake the hell up!" Kiba voice startled him and Shino turned to see him, floating around in a great blue waste land, "I'm in trouble!"_

"_Kiba?" Shino squinted through his sunglasses, which he wore even in dreams._

"_Who else would it be, bug boy?!" Kiba shouted, "Get up! Go to the hospital and help me! Bring the bugs!"_

"I always bring the bugs." Shino spoke with irritation as he was jerked into the waking world. He grabbed his glasses from a bedside table and shoved them onto his face. Kiba was grateful that Shino didn't question whether or not the dream meant anything. The Aburames were big believers in the supernatural and for once it was paying off as Shino pulled his jacket on and didn't bother to close the door .

"See, kid?" Maro Ukana grinned over his next victim's body, "I told you, didn't I? When I decided to kill some body, they get dead in a really big hurry. All 'cept your old man."

He plunged a Kunai knife into Kiba's chest and dragged it across a ways through his body. Somewhere in the hospital a dog raged, barking and growling at the doors but unable to help his master with out using up all of his chakra.

"But a fat load of good that did you, right?" The rouge laughed, "I mean, some other fucker got to him and here you are, totally helpless!"

He punched the Inuzuka brat in the face again and blood spurted out of the boy's mouth, dying his pillow red.

"Not much fun, beating on a sickie." Maro said sadly, "But don't worry, Kiba, I'll make it count. A two thousand and one. Two for one. Father and son." He leaned over and whispered into the dying man's ear, "Hope he feels it down in hell, eh? Left you alone, didn't he? Died when you were little and left you to die alone. It's a bitch, aint it?"


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Hana didn't know what made her wake up that night, with cold sweat running down her neck. The dogs were restless too. Later, her mother would attribute it to being an Inuzuka but Hana thought that all families must have this on some level. That was why Neji Hyuga always looked concerned when she came by looking for Hinata and pronounced the name Naruto Uzumaki with singular distaste. You worried about family and you knew when one of them was in trouble.

No one could ever accuse Hana of being a modest, sweet little woman. She slept, usually; in whatever she happened to be wearing the day before. Tonight it was blue jeans and a red sleeveless top and she pulled on a jacket as she raced out the door followed closely by the Haimaru triplets.

He was standing outside when she came up, only a few minutes after him. Shino Aburame, sweating and disheveled but still wearing his trademark sunglasses, in the middle of the night.

"Hana-"

"There's something wrong with my brother." She said, not bothering to greet him, "That's why you're here, isn't it?"

Shino nodded.

"Fucking doctors…" Hana muttered, searching her pockets, "Think they're so damn smart…where the FUCK IS MY KEY?!"

"She doesn't have it?!" Kiba groaned angrily, "God, she's supposed to be the smart one!" He looked at Yondaime, who seemed to have paled, if that was possible for a ghost, "I'm going inside. If I'm gonna die, I may as well be there for it!"

"I got it." Shino said.

"How?!" Hana felt oddly infuriated by his calm.

"Kikkai." He whispered and a small line of tiny black bugs scurried through his sleeve and into the key hole. In spite of himself, Shino smiled slightly. Just a little crack of his lips at his own powers, the ones that no one wanted. These bugs never slept. They were only still for a short while. A second and a small click later, the door swung wide and Shino said, "Let's go."

Hana followed as they raced through the dark halls of the hospital. Little flashed through Hana's mind except for an over whelming need to keep her brother safe. Her father had died a long time ago… Kiba looked just like him… he was the last male of the Inuzuka clan of Konoha… he was **her BROTHER! **Nobody else had the **right **to kill him!

Shino stopped at the door to Kiba's room. A man stood inside with his back to them and Hana saw the gleam of a Kunai knife in the moonlight. With a short growl, she warned the Haimaru Triplets to remain silent as Shino's bugs worked their magic.

Kiba swore under his breath as he watched Maro batter his defenseless body. There was nothing he could do about it unless Hana and Shino made it in time. Much faith as he had in them, (it was growing smaller by the second) Kiba would have much preferred taking the matter in to his own hands and strangling it for a while. He could feel his grip on the earth weakening but his chest still moved up and down in sporadic fits. He was alive… for now.

"They'll get here." Yondaime muttered, as if to reassure him.

"They're sure taking their time about it." Kiba said, not taking his eyes off his attacker or his body.

"Heh." Maro Ukana laughed softly and wiped some of Kiba's blood away from his mouth. It had shot on to his cheek after he punched one of the Inuzuka's kidneys, "You won't last much longer, will ya, dog boy?"

Kiba's body spasmed and more blood trickled from his mouth. Kiba wondered how it happen his body had blood to spare with all those open wounds dying his clothing red. It was amazing how much blood the human body could hold and it was even more amazing that he was still alive after so much of his was gone. Blood soaked the hospital bed and dripped down to the floor.

"Any minute now…" Maro leaned over him, actually licking his lips in anticipation, "Any minute… the coup de grace. Yours has been a most satisfying death, Kiba Inuzuka. I just wish you were awake and able to appreciate it. Your screams would have been most exhilarating but I'll have to be content with just the final shutter."

He did not hear the small flapping of a hundred tiny wings…

"It's quite a thing. The sound somebody makes just as they're about to leave this world, ya know?" He smiled at what were obviously fond memories, "It's different for everybody, sometimes a gasp, sometimes a laugh, sometimes they scream…ya never really know."

Or the scratch of three sets of claws on the tile floors outside…

"Wonder what you'll do, Kiba?" He laughed, "When you finally leave the world? Laugh, gasp or scream?"

The click of an opening door…

"Sure know how to keep a guy waiting, doncha? It's nearin' dawn now, better hurry up."

He raised his kunai knife his above the boy's quivering neck…

"Step the fuck away from my brother!" Hana's voice growled and pressed her own kunai against his throat. Kiba breathed a sigh of relief and Maro glanced passed his peripheral vision and sniggered.

"More red triangles?" He laughed, "You people breed like dogs, doncha?"

"Damn right." Hana and Kiba spoke in unison and Hana continued, "Stay away from Kiba."

Maro obliged with a grin and stepped backwards in Hana, his kunai slashing towards her. She ducked but it nicked her cheek. Hana growled and rubbed the cut with the back of her wrist.

"I'll deal with you in a minute, Bitch." Maro said, turning back to Kiba, "First, I got the puppy dog to deal with." Again the kunai lifted and Hana shouted to her dogs.

Maro hadn't seen Shino, standing back in the shadow of the door way and he didn't now. But he saw the kikkai bugs swarm around him, a thick mist of black insects, "What the fuck?!" He shouted in surprise and fear and then in pain as three mouths filled with fangs bit into his flesh. The Haimaru triplets lost no time in neutralizing the enemy, though they knew the final kill was for their mistress, and when Shino's bugs cleared Hana stood over him, kunai in hand and a cruel smile playing around her lips. She crouched next to him, there was a dog on each of his arms and another crushing his "precious bits", and for the first time in his whole despicable life, the man who love to kill's eyes were white in terror.

"Now didn't I tell you to leave him alone?" Hana said, sweetly, raising her kunai, "Wonder what sound you'll make?"

"Hana, wait."

She jerked her head around and glared at Shino, "What?"

"I want to ask him a few questions before you kill him." The Aburame spoke calmly.

"Call off the middle one!" Maro pleaded, staring at his crouch and the fangs clenched around it, "Call it off!"

"Shino, do we have to do this?" Hana demanded angrily.

"Yes. The Hokage will want a report on the security breach."

She was about to explain to him exactly where the Hokage could shove her security breach. She hated being interrupted in the middle of vengeance but then she remembered that Shino was the reason Kiba was still alive. If it hadn't been for the kikkai, they would have been too late.

"Keep it short." She said, "This scum's a waste of air."

"Call off the middle one!" The waste of air begged again, "I'll tell ya anything ya want, just call him off!"

"Fine. Hika!" Hana barked and the middle dog released him with a whine. She came and sat by her mistress, eyeing the fallen man hungrily.

"Thank god!" Maro exclaimed in relief.

"Suddenly religious now that he's about to die." The Inuzuka woman commented dryly.

"Heh." Maro laughed, his sprits greatly renewed now that the middle canine was gone, "Least I won't be first. Look at your brother, bitch. Maybe I didn't cut his throat but I'll get his death soon enough by the looks of it!"

As if on cue, Kiba's body shuddered and his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

"Shit!" Hana muttered and looked and Hika, "Get a medic! There's gotta be someone here, even at this hour! Fucking doctors! I don't care if you gotta drag 'em here with your teeth; just get 'em!"

The dog set off at a run and she turned back to Shino.

"Well!" She barked angrily, "You wanted to question him! Get it over with!"

Shino nodded, "How did you get into Konoha?"

"I ain't tellin' you shit!" Ukana laughed, "That dogs gone and I ain't scared a death!"

"I will cut your balls off myself!" Hana brandished her kunai.

"No." Shino commanded softly as thousands upon thousands of kikkai swarmed through his sleeves and up passed his neck. Even Hana stepped back and the dogs whined through their holds. Maro was absolutely terrified and Kiba was reminded of just how scary Shino could be, "If he doesn't answer me, he will not merely be unafraid of death, he will beg for it."

"Dead of night! Over the wall!" He cried like a child, "The shields have holes in 'em on the north side!"

"And the hospital?" Shino did not bother to call back the bugs; instead they circled wider around him, all the while making that horrible soft clicking sound.

"Somebody left a window open!"

Shino nodded and Hana muttered something about doctors. "How did you know which room was Kiba's?"

"Saw 'im, didn't I?" Maro said, "You think I'm stupid?"

"Yes, actually." Shino said mildly, "Anything you'd like to know, Hana?"

"No." She fingered the knife in her hand and glanced at the door, "Can I kill him yet?"

"Go ahead." Shino stepped backwards and called the kikkai back out of sight.

She had just slit his throat when the doctors came in.

"God damn it, let go, you mangy- Inuzuka, what the hell are you doing?" A white hard balding man was splattered in blood and a grey dog released his pant leg.

"Sleeping on the job again, Tamuchi?" Hana asked, rising from the gurgling corpse, "I know you're not here to treat patients or keep them safe. Did your wife kick you out again?"

"Wha-what the devil's going on here, Inuzuka?" Tamuchi sputtered, glancing quickly from the corpse to Hana, to Shino, to the three dogs, to Kiba bleeding on the bed spread, "You- you'd better have a good explanation for this."

"You'd better take care of my brother before you start demanding explanations, Doctor." She sniffed coldly, "He's bleeding to death, in case all your _medical experience_ missed that little detail."

Tamuchi didn't answer, maybe because he feared Hana's razor tongue or because he knew she was right. Instead he pushed passed her and looked the boy over.

"Massive blood loss." He murmured, "Possibly organ failure, we may have to operate. I'll need assistance in any case."

"I'll get it." Shino said, wanting to be of use.

"Don't be stupid, you wouldn't know where to look." Hana said, and, to the dogs, "Watch him."

Shino didn't know if she meant him, Kiba or Tamuchi but she took off at a dead run through the hospital halls.

"I don't suppose you could get rid of the corpse?" The doctor asked, "It's highly unsanitary."

_Neither are my methods by your standards, I'm sure._ Shino thought but said only, "What do you want me to do with it?"

"Just get rid of it." Tamuchi said, hooking Kiba up to a breathing machine, "I don't care how."

Shino shrugged and allowed the bugs to consume Maro's remains. They made a quick and efficient job of it, clicking away happily as the doctor watched in horror. Soon there was nothing lefts but a skeleton, picked clean. The kikkai returned silently to his body, fat on flesh and chakra.

"Did you say something?" Shino looked at the doctored, daring him to repeat his comment about "Ninja freaks… dogs and fleas…"

"N-no."

"Here! Go!" They turned at the sound of Hana's voice in the hallway. Three younger doctors came in, to men and one woman.

"Dr. Tamuchi, Dr. Inuzuka said you wanted us-?" The blonde woman asked but her senior cut her off.

"Get the anesthetic, Nashida." He ordered.

"Don't you dare!" Hana barked.

"Miss. Inuzuka, your brother is in a considerable amount of pain-"

"My brother is dying! The time for anesthetic is passed!"

"You are not a doctor-"

"No! I'm a vet and proud of it but I know how to keep things alive! Now, DO YOUR FUCKING JOB!"

"He's going into cardiac arrest!" One of the doctors shouted.

"CLEAR!" Hana gave a strangled sort of sound and the dogs whined, "CLEAR!" Kiba's body shook with electricity, "Get her out of here!" Tamuchi shouted and it took Shino a few moments to realize he was speaking to him and it took all of his strength and kikkai bugs to remove a protesting Hana and three dogs.

"Fuck!" Hana swore and threw herself back against the wall, letting her body slide down to the floor. She pouted and simmered and talked angrily to the Haimaru triplets. Shino didn't bother her. He knew enough about the brother to know that irritating the sister would be a bad idea. The best course now was silence.

_**CRASH!**_

"Tell Akamaru that Kiba's still alive and tearing apart the hospital won't help him." Hana told one the dogs and it raced down the hall ways.

They waited in silence. Occasionally, words like "Kidney failure" and "sever internal damage." Would float through the air, making them both even more anxious. Every so often, the door would open and a doctor would come out, usually the woman. Every time this happened, Hana would jump up and Shino would turn his head to look at the newcomer (an intense display of feeling for Shino) but the doctor simply ran down the hall returning with bandages or syringes or other medical equipment.

Hana didn't know how long they waited for news of Kiba. Well past dawn at least. The minutes seemed to pass as hours and the hours were like days. She hated waiting; it was a conspicuous Inuzuka trait. She fidgeted, gnawed against her wrist as Kiba was wont to do in times of stress and glanced over at Shino, as if he could shed some light on her brother's condition. He couldn't but it was interesting to look at him and it stopped her from worrying too much about Kiba.

She had never seen him this… exposed. His eyes were still covered by sunglasses but he had forgotten button his jacket making Hana the first person outside of the Aburame clan to see Shino's chest. It was pale from lack of exposure and stood out, taunt and muscular.

"I'm sure Kiba will be fine." Shino said and Hana realized with a flush of embarrassment that he had noticed her watching him.

"Yeah." She agreed half heartedly and they sat in silence for while until she decided to ask, "How did you know that Kiba was in trouble?"

"He told me." Shino tried to hid his embarrassment with out success, "That is, I- I dreamt that he told me."

Hana cocked an eyebrow, "You're saying that my brother… who's been in a coma for the past three days… came to you in a dream and told you he was in trouble?"

Shino nodded, "I know how it sounds-"

"You'd think he'd take some time out of his busy undead schedule to stop in and tell his sister exactly why he couldn't make it back to the world of the living." She snorted, thoroughly irritated at her little brother selfish insistence on being incapacitated.

Shino was about to respond when the door open and the Nashida, the young blonde doctor, opened the door and stepped in to the hall. Hana was immediately on her feet and Shino cast a hard look at the woman. She looked very tired, very sweaty and extremely satisfied. He decided it was safe to assume Kiba would be alright.

"Your brother is stable." She said and Hana yelped with joy, "He's on a ventilator now, he took a couple of sharp pricks to the lungs and we'll have to do a surgery tomorrow."

"Surgery?" Hana went white.

"Mmm. We stopped most of the external bleeding but Dr. Tamuchi wants to be sure all of his organs are alright. If his kidneys start failing again, we'll have to replace them. He'll be on fluids for a while. The attacker got a few sucker punches in there and broke his jaw, a couple ribs too."

"And his lungs aren't working." She muttered, "God, its worse than last time."

Last time, Shino remembered well. It was when Kiba, Naruto, Neji, Choji and Shikamaru went after the traitor Sasuke and Kiba nearly killed himself to dispatch with an enemy inside his body. He'd been saved by Kankuro of the Sand and woke up the next day.

"And… will he wake up?" Hana asked.

Dr. Nashida looked sad, "We don't know. He should, in time, but the body has a greater reason to stay dormant now. I'm sorry but you'll just have to wait and see."

"Can we see him now?"

"No." Nashida said, "Sorry but visiting hours are long over."

"I'm family." Hana said hotly, "And Shino saved his life before you all got here!"

"I don't make the rules."

"Of course not." Hana scoffed, "Why would anyone want to take responsibility? You're lucky I'm tired. Walk me home, Shino?"

Shino hoped he wouldn't go red and followed her as obediently as the three dogs behind her.

"You going, too?" Yondaime asked.

"Mmm. Might as well." Kiba shrugged, "Akamaru will still be awake and Hana seemed worried."

"Yeeeaaaaahhhhhhh, **that's **what she seemed."

"What?"

"Nothing, what about Hinata?"

Kiba hesitated. Once he was sure he was alive, Kiba had resolved to forgive her for anything she might feel or (he preferred to believe) thought she might feel for Naruto. She'd been scared after the dream, hell Kiba had been scared after the dream, but she hadn't come to the hospital to make sure he was alright. So… either hadn't believed the dream, or she hadn't been able to get out of the house, or she didn't care. Hinata was used to bad dreams. With a childhood like hers, Kiba couldn't blame her. So it was quite possible that she'd simply told herself it was just a dream and gone back to sleep. He liked that option. The Hyuga house was a fortress and apparently Neji was become quite the little guard dog lately but… if she had really _wanted to_…

_You're going to talk yourself into being pissed at her. _He reminded himself.

He refused to believe that she didn't care what happened to him. She might not _**love**_ him (there he said it) but he was her friend, wasn't he? And her teammate. Yeah, she definitely cared about him. At least a little.

"I'll let her sleep."

Yondaime shrugged and they headed after Hana and Shino.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

A cold wind prickled at Shino Aburame's skin. He suddenly felt very tired. It couldn't have been more than three in the morning. Yet he and Hana had just killed a man and disposed of his body. Most people didn't get that much accomplished in a week.

The only sounds were the crush of their feet against the gravel road. Neither one of them were wearing shoes. In the hurry to save Kiba, Shino had forgotten his and Hana's were simply an afterthought. Shino was used to silence, the Aburame clan never being too articulate even amongst themselves, but it felt strange around Hana. The Inuzukas were like their dogs, only quiet when absolutely necessary. It struck Shino now, what a factor noise played in his life, Kiba's wild, irrepressible laughing barks, Hinata's quiet chatter when she finally let her guard down and now Hana's strong commanding tone. Silence with her made Shino uncomfortable.

"My father left my mother." She was never one to beat around the bush when something was on her mind, "I was only five when it happened but Kiba was still in the womb. Dad said that it was a mission but he went alone with his dogs and we asked the Hokage later and there wasn't one. I think Mom knew it was a lie when he told her. I think she expected it."

"The Inuzuka's are democratic about picking a leader. My mother was chosen to head the clan because she was the best ninja of that generation. Women usually head the clan, though it's not a rule. That's why many of us don't marry. A lot of guys don't like being bossed around by their wives."

"My father's name was Yukio Ryotican, but he took the name Yukio Inuzuka after he married my mother. He was the first of his clan to become a ninja and he was damn good at it too. You heard that bastard in the hospital room; Yukio Ryotican was the only man he couldn't kill. Nobody could kill my father, nobody could beat him. There was talk of him becoming a sannin even, before he went rouge. I'm sure he wasn't too thrilled about taking his wife's name or the Inuzuka war paint."

"My clan was originally mercenaries, before Konoha was founded and we settled down. The fangs were our trade mark, sort of an advertising logo. They're a birthmark for Kiba and me, anybody with a direct Inuzuka blood line. Sometimes babies are born without fangs; they're still Inuzuka but nowhere near as good with the dogs. My mother insisted that Dad wear the fangs whenever he went in to battle. My mother never wanted to get married. I'm still not sure why she did. Maybe they loved each other at some point. Maybe it was just sex. Probably because she needed to continue the Inuzuka clan. There are a lot of domineering women in my family." She smiled softly but the smile faded quickly into the night as Hana continued, "That's probably why my father left."

"It was a few weeks before Kiba was born that he left. They had argued the night before, I'm not sure what it was about but I think it was the dogs. One thing you have to know about Inuzukas, Shino-" She glared at him, suddenly, "We will always, always pick our dogs over our lovers if we are forced to choose. Humans are the only ones who make us choose and the only ones we leave behind. A dog and a member of my family are together for life. My father didn't understand that. That's why he's gone."

"I remember the day he left, supposedly on a mission. My mother didn't cry, she only stared at him with cold, unattached eyes. I know she was hurting though when she asked whether or not it could wait until Kiba was born. He just shook his head and said no, it couldn't."

"We found his body the year before Kiba graduated. Somebody finally killed him over in the rain country. They found a Konoha headband on his person and sent him back to us. Mom and I had given up on Dad long before that but Kiba was crushed. He somehow got it into his head that Dad left because of him. For the longest time he blamed himself but after we found the body and the gossips started up again about our family, he began to blame Dad. I'm not sure which is worse."

She stopped and glanced up towards the stars. "My father is the reason that Kiba's going into surgery tomorrow. All the rest, I could forgive but Kiba is the first man born into our family and what's more, he's a good ninja. If he survives to twenty five, he'll take over the clan. If my father was going to _**leave**_ anyway…." She ground her teeth audibly, "the least he could have done was finish the job so I wouldn't have to!"

Hana sighed and looked at him, "The reason I'm telling you this, Shino, is because my family owes you. This isn't the first time you've saved Kiba's life. This isn't the first time you've helped my family. I guess what I'm trying to say is thank you."

They had reached the Inuzuka property and stood outside its gate by the time she finished her story. Shino couldn't believe it, couldn't believe that she had told him. He hadn't known Kiba that well then but neither of the Inuzukas had ever let on that anything out of the ordinary happened with in their family. Hana watched him silently, waiting for something to be said.

"You're welcome."

She arched an eyebrow. "That's it, hunh?"

That was all Shino could manage. The Aburame clan were not famous for their long winded or powerful speech making and Shino was no exception. All he could think about was Hana, her eyes and her voice, how he had wanted her more than anyone else in the world, how whenever he was in her presence what few words he had at his disposal died in his mouth, how she never screamed or flinched at the sight of his bugs the way most women, even Hinata and Kurenai from time to time, were prone to do, how, even though she was his teammate's sister and Kiba was still teetering on the verge of death… all he wanted to do was touch her.

_Fuck it!_ His arms were already around her and their lips connected. She tasted like sweat and blood and the heat of their embrace made him dizzy. Inside his body, the kekkai shivered and squirmed but did not leave. Her dogs barked but did not interfere.

"Shino likes my _**SISTER?!**_" Kiba's voice echoed and his jaw dropped.

"Well, the last horse finally crosses the finish line." Yondaime said with a self satisfied smirk on his lips, "It took you long enough Kiba, everyone else had it figured out by chapter three."

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing, nothing." Yondaime shushed him, "Let's just watch and see how things go…"

"I shouldn't be seeing this…" Kiba muttered, "This is traumatic."

"Oh hush!"

The initial surprise of Shino's kiss wore off soon enough and Hana returned it with great feeling. For once that night, she did not worry about her brother. Kiba would make noise about this when he woke up but for now Shino was the only person occupying her thoughts. She had never been known to apologize for her emotions, never been one to suppress them when she thought they were reciprocated. Her hands slid up around his neck and pulled him in closer.

"Geez, Hana…" Kiba looked away, grimacing. His best friend and his sister broke apart at the lips but still held on with their arms.

"Hana…" Shino's voice was low and barely audible in the moon light.

"Do you want to come in?" They were about the same height but somehow he felt taller to her and she looked up at him through half closed eyes.

"Your family?"

"Mom's out somewhere, Kiba's in the hospital."

"He won't like this."

"He'll move on." Hana leaned forward and kissed him again, "Now do you want to come in or not?"

She turned and left the gate swinging open, followed by the dogs. Shino glanced up at the heavens, wondering what the hell he was getting himself into, and followed her.

"Wow! This is just about the most exciting night since I died!" Yondaime exclaimed with a grin, "Come on, we're gonna miss all the fun!"

"Oh no, you don't!" Kiba barked and reached out a ghostly hand to stop The Hokage, "I don't have a body currently so I can't stop Shino but there is no way **you **are seeing** my **sister naked!"

"Come on! Like I haven't watched her in the shower!" Yondaime pleaded, casting a longing look towards the house, "Please! **You** don't have to watch!"

"**NO!"** Kiba barked again and lead the complaining Hokage away from his sister and Shino Aburame.

"You never let me have any fun."

* * *

"You look terrible."

"Thanks Neji." Hinata groaned and rubbed her temples, "I didn't get much sleep."

What she didn't tell her cousin was that every time she closed her eyes, Kiba Inuzuka's face haunted her dreams. She felt sick, dizzy and anxious beyond belief.

"You're not eating."

"No, I guess not." Hinata murmured, almost to her self, "I think I'll go to the hospital, Neji."

"Right." She was thankful he did not question her, "I'll tell your father when he gets back."

"Don't bother." She shook her head, "He doesn't need to know."

"Fine." Neji continued to eat as Hinata stood and left the compound.

_Kiba is fine._ She reminded herself for the thousandth time as she walked the streets of Konoha_ He's safe at the hospital. With the doctors and Hana and Akamaru and Shino. You saw him yesterday. Kiba is fine._

_Then how do you explain the fact that he was dying in every dream you had last night? _Asked a small, nagging voice deep in her mind.

_They were just dreams._ Hinata thought, evasively, _Dreams, that's all…_

She'd had those same dreams the day Kiba and Naruto went after Sasuke Uchiha.

Hinata started to run.

* * *

"Is Kiba alright?" Her voice was breathless when she arrived at the hospital.

"We'll know in about an hour." Hana's voice was far to calm for the panic Hinata felt, "He's in surgery right now."

"Surgery?" She sank down with out checking that there was bench beneath her.

_I told you…_

"Hinata?" Shino glanced at her beneath his glasses. Her eyes opened weakly and looked around. Her teammate sat beside her and Hana Inuzuka had stopped pacing momentarily when Hinata came in. The Haimaru triplets followed at her haunches and Akamaru- Hinata felt a stab of pain when she saw Kiba's dog lying in front of the door. She had a feeling both he and Hana had barked their heads off to get him that privileged spot. His injuries were healed but the scars shone clear in the clean patches of skin they'd had to shave. He lifted his great white head when she came in and the golden eyes rested on her with a sorry gaze, as if he knew the pain she felt.

"Just a few replacement parts." Hana continued, a bit more cruelly than Shino thought was necessary, "His kidneys kept failing last night."

"Last night?" Hinata looked around, "What happened?"

"That rouge ninja from the rock country-" Shino explained, "The one that fought Kiba before- he came back last night."

"For Kiba." Hana clarified but it half sounded like, _And where the fuck were you?_

Hinata knew she deserved it but that didn't stop Hana's words from cutting. The Inuzuka woman had very low tolerance for weakness, especially in other women. She was right too. Hinata cursed her self for not paying attention, not being there for Kiba… the boy who loved her. From the time he'd told her he loved her, Hinata had been trying not to think about it. She didn't want him to love her! She didn't deserve his love. It wasn't fair… he shouldn't have to love her…

"Don't worry, Hinata." Shino, who had no aversion to feminine weakness, comforted her, "We stopped him."

"Of course." Hinata said, not really listening.

"Of course." Hana agreed and went back to her pacing.

It seemed to Hinata that years had passed as they waited for someone to tell them what was going on. No one spoke. The only sounds were Hana retracing her steps, the click of Shino's bugs and the occasional whine from the dogs. Hinata sat perfectly still, desperately wanting to sink into the floor and escape her guilt.

* * *

"She's outside, Kiba."

"You think I don't know that?" He didn't raise his voice or move his eyes from the scalpel against his skin, "You think I can't feel her presence every time she's near me? I'm not dead yet but I've seen surgery before… things can go wrong in a millisecond so until they close me up, I'm staying here. It's not like she'll miss me anyway."

"Don't sell yourself short, kid." Yondaime smiled slightly, "You didn't see her when she came in. Couldn't catch her breath, looked like she ran all the way here.

"Really?" Kiba blinked and looked up at him.

"Yep!" Yondaime grinned, "Fights not over yet, bucko. They do seem to be wrapping up your surgery though."

He glanced back down and sure enough, dark black thread and found its way through the wounds and stopped the blood.

Kiba smiled in spite of himself. "Still alive." He whispered.

"Well, he's out of the danger zone." Hinata looked up when the blonde doctor Nashida entered the room but Kiba's eyes were on her, "We've got him on the IV and all the transplants seem to be in good working order. Dr. Tamuchi wants to keep him under observation for another night just to make sure."

"Thank you." Hana said, bowing, more polite than any of them had ever seen her, "When can we see him?"

"As soon as he's back in his room." Nashida said, "You'll be pleased to know we've upped the security at the hospital after last night."

"Yes, I spoke with the Hokage this morning." Hana nodded, "Not that any one else will be trying to kill Kiba."

"We can only hope. " Kiba muttered. Hinata looked tired. He wondered who'd been in her dreams, him or Naruto.

"You're getting real depressing, you know that?" Yondaime said.

"In case you haven't noticed, things aren't exactly going well for me." His eyes lifted heavenward, "I haven't been gone a week and Shino started fucking my sister, Hinata's dating Naruto and somebody came seriously close to killing me."

"You know, all those things only happened once!" The fourth exclaimed in irritation, "Besides, look how tired and worried Hinata is! You should visit her again tonight."

"I probably will." Kiba nodded, "Now that my body is alright but I have to talk to Shino first."

Yondaime grinned, "Now, don't go alienating your future brother in law."

Kiba rolled his eyes and returned the grin, "I'm thinking of Hana. What kind of brother would I be if I didn't at least haunt the guy she's dating?"

* * *

"_So... you're fucking my sister..." Shino jumped when he heard Kiba's voice. Not that he was surprised by the dream; it was just like the Inuzuka to sneak up behind him like that._

"_It's a little more vulgar than I would have described it…" Shino answered, "But for all intents and purposes, I suppose the phrase is accurate."_

"_If I could get into my body, I'd kick your ass, Aburame." Kiba's voice and face were serious._

"_I don't know what you're so upset about." Shino said calmly, "Remember when she was fooling around with Iruka-sensei?"_

_Kiba groaned. He'd been trying to forget. It made for decidedly awkward detentions._

"_All the same…" He said, trying not to laugh, "I wouldn't be doing my job as a brother, if I didn't do this." His face grew suddenly grave, "If you hurt her, I'll fucking kill you, Shino."_

"_I don't think you need to worry about that." Shino said softly. He could never hurt her, not even if he tried. It was more likely that she would leave him. Shino knew that from the start, it was very unlikely he would be able to hold on to a woman such as Hana. She was wild; she went her own way..._

"_She could do worse, I guess." Kiba said grudgingly, "What Hana really wants is an equal, somebody she can fight with and not win every time. Can you do that?" he raised a dark brown eyebrow, looking at Shino._

"_I can try." Shino said, seriously._

"_Well, well." Kiba said. They were silent for a while, each alone with his own thoughts, then Shino said;_

"_So what now, Kiba?"_

"_What?"_

"_Why won't you wake up?" Shino clarified, "Hana is worried. There's no reason for you to stay this way, even after last night, your injuries are not so severe to keep you in a vegetative state and your obviously not brain dead-"_

"_Obviously." Kiba sighed and sat down next to his friend, "Its about the stupidest reason in the world… you know Hinata?"_

"_Vaguely." Shino said dryly._

"_Did I ever tell you that you're really fucking irritating when you're sarcastic?" Kiba asked._

"_Sorry. Go on."_

"_Well… thing is… I love her." Once again the words sounded incredibly stupid coming out of his mouth, "but I don't know if she loves me… there is that whole Naruto thing… so until I figure it out… I can't get back into my body."_

"_You can't get back into your body…" Shino repeated slowly, "Unless Hinata loves you?"_

"_I know, its stupid, right?" Kiba said dejectedly._

"_Not entirely." Shino said, "Of course, Hinata loves you."_

"_She has to say it. Or prove it in some way." The ghost boy said, "Thanks for the vote of confidence, though."_

"_Would you like me to explain the situation?"_

"_No." Kiba shook his head, "It wouldn't work."_

"_Why?"_

"_You know Hinata!" Kiba said, "She already feels guilty as hell about this, she'd only be doing it to get me back in my body. I'm not sure but I think she needs to love me of her own free will, or at least, realize it on her own." He swallowed hard and whispered, "I don't think I'd want it the other way."_

"_No, I suppose not." Shino said, thinking of Hana, "What is it you want me to do?"_

"_Just…" Kiba sighed, all the sentimental talk was clearly making him uncomfortably, "Just don't let her forget me, okay? This goes on until my body is dead for good but Yondaime says it gets harder once they start to forget you. Don't let her forget me, Shino. Please."_

"_Alright." Shino said, solemnly, "I don't think you need to worry about it though."_

"_Thanks." Kiba said, "I should go now. Say hi to Hana."_

"_She'd love a visit."_

"_Maybe when I wake up."_

* * *

Shino woke up, wondering if that would happen every time a sprit left his body. Hana slept softly beside him, muttering occasionally under her breath and Shino's arm circled her. Her fingers wrapped around his instinctively and she muttered his name without waking.

"Shino…"

He kissed her softly on the nape of her neck, never more grateful to be alive.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

"_Hi."_

"_Kiba-"_

"_Hinata, I just_ _got out of surgery." He rolled his eyes and sat down beside her on the grass, "We don't have to talk about that now."_

_She sighed, "What do you recommend?"_

_Kiba laughed and Hinata smiled. It was good to hear his laughter, she'd missed it. _

"_I guess it's kind of hard to avoid, hunh? Sorry about the bomb shell."_

"_It's okay."_

_He looked at her, in that annoying, thoughtful way he had and remarked, "But I did think I was dying, you know?"_

"_So did I." She admitted, "That's why I didn't faint… or kick your ass."_

"_Just settled for breaking my little dog boy heart?" He asked with a smirk._

_Hinata sighed and closed her eyes, covering her mouth with balled fists. Immediately he regretted his words._

"_Sorry, Hinata, I-"_

"_Why do you do that to me, Kiba?" She asked, knowing that her words were too cruel for the occasion, "You know I-" her voice trailed off._

"_Yeah, I know." He said, awkwardly, "I'm sorry."_

"_I don't know what to do with you, Kiba." Hinata whispered, more to her self than him._

"_I know." He said, "It's true though… when you told me about…__**him**__… I wanted to kill myself… or… __**him**__…"_

"_I thought we weren't to talk about it."_

"_Yeah." He said, smiling a little, "Can we be friends, Hinata? Just for now? Until you decide?"_

"_I love him, Kiba."_

"_You can't know that…"_

"_Kiba."_

"_Please, Hinata? Can we just pretend we're friends again? Like before everything got complicated?"_

"_Okay."_

_They were still for a few moments, staring out on the river where Hinata did her chakra training. She didn't know why she dreamed of this spot, it had always been special to her but she'd rarely been there with her teammates. Neither one spoke and a cool breeze swam through the dream world. After a while, Kiba muttered;_

"_I can't think of anything to say." He laughed slightly._

"_Sometimes it's okay to be quiet." She said, leaning back against him, her head on his shoulder. Kiba smiled and allowed himself to enjoy her touch. She was so warm, smelt so good. It was closer than they'd ever been while he was alive._

"_You sound like Shino." He murmured._

"_It's impossible to __**sound **__like Shino."_

_He laughed._

"_You know he's dating my sister?"_

"_I thought something was up." Hinata nodded, "She kept looking at him when we were-"_

"_Apparently, he's liked her awhile." Kiba said quickly as it clearly hurt Hinata to think about the hospital._

"_Only for about six or so years." Hinata chuckled, "They left together after the surgery."_

_He snorted, "Way to be concerned, Hana."_

"_Hey!" Hinata reached up and slapped him gently on the nose, "She saved your life!"_

"_Yeah…" His hand circled around her wrist and he leaned forward to examine it in the setting sun, his eyebrows furrowed._

_There was three, long, thin scars across the vein. Faint but fresh. Kiba looked at her, back down to the scars and then back to her._

"_Hinata-!" He whispered, "Did you do this?"_

"_N-no." She pulled away, trying to reclaim her hand but his grip was tight._

"_Did you do this?!" Kiba repeated, "Don't lie, Hinata! You haven't been on a mission since- How long have you been cutting?"_

"_I-I haven't b-been-"_

"_Hinata!" He struggled to keep from shouting at her, "Hinata, you are the only thing keeping me on the planet! Why would you- Even if you don't care about me-"_

"_How can you say I don't care about you?!" She demanded in a breathless voice, tears spurting out of her colorless eyes, "Why do you think I-?"_

_Her words were silenced as he crushed his arms around her, clutching her body tight against his. His voice was muffled in her air and thick with emotion._

"_Please… Hinata… Don't ever hurt yourself ever again!" He pleaded with her, "I couldn't take it, please, god, I couldn't take it! Don't ever hurt yourself, please! Don't you know how important you are? God, don't ever do that again, understand me?" He broke away and shook her fiercely, "Do you understand? Do ANYTHING but that! Anything."_

_He sighed, over come with emotion and held her again, this time not quite so tight, whispering, "God, Hinata, don't you know how important you are? If anything ever happened to you I don't know what I'd do. I couldn't handle it… I love you. Hinata… Hinata, Hinata, Hinata… don't ever do that again."_

* * *

"Kiba…" She whispered, back in bed, her eyes soaked with tears, "Kiba…"

She glanced at her wrist. It was clear, free from any scares. She hadn't been cutting herself. Why had she dreamed she did?

"They must have been emotional scars." Yondaime muttered, "Maybe this is a good thing."

"I hope so." Kiba said, already feeling guilty about yelling at her.

"God, I'm fucked up…" Hinata stood and walked from the bed. She glanced out the window. Neji was asleep for once. That meant it must be after one in the morning. Grimly, Hinata forced herself to look in the mirror. She hadn't been sleeping well for days, the bags under her eyes proved it. Neji and Shino had both commented and Hanabi asked her why she was always tired but Naruto had yet to notice… he didn't notice a lot. She was grateful for that.

Every where she looked, Hinata saw Kiba. Even when she closed her eyes, it was Kiba bleeding on the grass, Kiba telling her he loved her, Kiba in pain… It was nice tonight, to finally see him happy again, if only for a little while. Kiba smiling, Kiba joking, Kiba's arms around her…

"No!" She reminded herself firmly, "You're dating Naruto…"

"She just has to rub it in, doesn't she?" Kiba sighed, "As if I needed the reminder. It's not exactly easy for me either, Hina!"

When she was with Naruto, she didn't think about Kiba so much. Naruto could distract her, make her believe she was normal. Kiba used to have that effect on her but that was before all of this decided to happen. She had to stop thinking about him, had to get him out of her dreams. It wasn't fair to Naruto… it wasn't even fair to Kiba especially since they'd never-

_Why not?_

She choose to ignore the question her mind had posed and glanced again out the window. She needed to see Naruto… it wouldn't be the first time she snuck out. Hanabi would worry and Neji would be disappointed in her but she was grown woman, wasn't she?!

_Grown women don't sneak out of their bedroom window._

Another statement she could ignore. She began to open the window and a cold wind shot into the room. She hesitated, one foot half way out the window and pulled it back in. The least she could do was leave a note. Neji could yell at her later.

_Gone out. Be home tomorrow._

_-Hinata_

She didn't bother thinking but a lie. It was really done of Neji's business where she went at night.

"Or anybody else's." She muttered to her self, body flickering out the window. Kiba stared after her and Yondaime cast a sidelong glance in his direction.

"You think she knew we were here?"

Kiba ignored the question and followed Hinata. She didn't waste time with walking but body flickered as far as her depleted chakra would allow. Kiba prayed he was wrong about where she was going. Maybe she was going to train. Training calmed Hinata… made her feel as if she were in control, or so she'd once told him. The happiest, most satisfied he'd ever seen Hinata was when they trained together as a team…

_And you fooled yourself into thinking it was you that made her happy… _He thought before he cold stop himself.

Hinata stopped outside of Natuto's apartment. She shivered and looked over her shoulder. It felt like someone was watching her.

_Let them watch! _She tossed her black hair angrily; _it's my life, damnit!_

"It's my life." Hinata repeated aloud and pressed the button next to the untidy scrawl _Uzumaki._

"God, Hinata…" Kiba whispered.

"Hunh? W'a's goin' on?" Naruto's voice crackled through the intercom, "Is there a mission?"

"No, it's me." Her voice was more powerful than either of them expected.

"Hinata?"

"Hinata…" He almost forgot she couldn't hear him, "Please…"

"Yeah- can I-" She choose her words carefully, she wanted to be taken seriously, to be independent, "Do you mind if I come up?"

"Hinata, please don't!" His voice was choked with emotion.

"Uh- Sure!" She distinctly heard the rustle of clothing being put on, "Yeah- no problem."

The buzzer sounded and she stepped in to the building. Against his better judgment- what little thought he was capable of at that moment- Kiba followed her.

"Please, Hinata! Please, don't! Hinata!" Tears flashed down his ghostly cheeks, "HINATA!"

"Kiba…" He froze, and stared at her.

"Hinata…" He barely dared to breathe.

But Hinata's eyes stared ahead and she swallowed, glancing up and whispered, "I'm sorry."

He knew she couldn't see him, knew she thought she was crazy, knew that she believed she was talking to herself. But his heart didn't see it. All he could tell was that she was leaving him, and she wouldn't come back.

The elevator stopped. Hinata squared her shoulders and stepped out into the hall.

_I'm not betraying him…_ She told herself, trying to still her thoughts; _I never gave him any promises. He __**knew**__ I loved Naruto… he said it himself! He has no right to do this to me!_

_He's in a coma! He's not doing anything to you! _Tears began to form in her eyes without her feeling it, _you're going insane, Hinata! You need to forget Kiba! Get him out of your head!_

"Hina!" Kiba barked desperately, "Hina, don't, PLEASE!"

"Hey Hinata." Naruto opened the door to his apartment. He was wearing almost nothing, a blue pair of pajama bottoms that had obviously been on the floor a few moments ago. His blue eyes were drowsy and his eyebrows rose.

"What're y-"

She stopped him with a kiss, hot and heavy. How like Naruto not to know why she was here at two in the morning. Kiba always said he was dense. Kiba would have known-

_STOP IT! _Hinata shouted at herself, _Stop thinking about him!_

She broke from Naruto, pulling his lower lip out as far as possible the way she'd seen Temari do to Shikamaru. The kiss had served one purpose at least. He was awake now, awake and staring at her like he'd never seen her before. He was stammering something.

"Could I come in?" She interrupted shortly.

"Ye-yeah sure." Hinata smiled. Now it was his turn to stutter. Naruto stepped back, allowing her into the apartment. He'd never seen Hinata like this.

Kiba had. Brief, glorious moment during training when her chakra was entirely under her control, he'd seen her like this. He never loved her more than in those moments, when she was in her element. When she lived for herself, not for her father, or her village, or Naruto… he never loved her more than in those moments, never loathed himself more than in this one.

_If you really loved her…_ He thought to himself, _you'd want her to be happy, no matter what._

But she wasn't happy. She was calm, angry, confident, determined, not happy. He knew her when she was happy. This wasn't it.

_She made her decision…It's over. Don't put yourself through this. Don't chase after a woman who doesn't want you… give up. Die._

"Hinata…" It was almost instinctive. One last plea to her retreating form, walking past Naruto into his apartment. It was always this way for him. When everything was lost, he thought about her. He said her name, it helped. Not this time. Nothing could help him now.

* * *

_It's over… Hinata._

_Naruto Uzumaki seldom dreamed about anything other than becoming Hokage and the occasional naked orgy. He certainly never dreamed about his own bedroom, with Hinata sleeping next to him after a night of violent, amazing sex._

_Then Kiba was there. He was a ghost, floating ominously above the bed. He was not the care free, joking Kiba that Naruto sometimes hung out with. His eyes were cold and his face serious._

"_If you hurt her…" He said, "I'll fucking kill you."_


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

Hinata was showered and out of the house before Naruto was awake. The past three months had been the most restful of her life since Kiba had…

In spite of this, her purpose had only been half served. She would never be able to get rid of Kiba entirely or ever think of him as she used to, he'd ruined any chance of that. But she could sleep now. That was all that mattered. She could sleep…

Sort of. That was what took her out of bed that morning, down this path, the road to the hospital. She'd dreamed of Kiba last night.

Actually, now that Hinata thought about it, Kiba had always been there, when she dreamed at all. But always in the background, always a fleeting glance, a brief sighting, the back of his head in a crowded area, nothing more. But he was always there and she was always acutely aware of him.

But never so bad as this…

_She was at a funeral. It was one of those dreams that she saw from a spectator's view, unable to do anything. It was a small funeral, out in the forest. Just her and Naruto and Shino, Kurenai, Hana, Tsume, Akamaru and Tsunade serving as the preacher. The Inuzukas were at the back, the dogs whining, and the women stone faced and silent._

_Who was dead? _

_Tsunade stood and walked to the pulpit. "We are gathered here today to mourn the loss of one of Konoha's most promising ninja…"_

_Who was dead?_

"_A young man with his whole life ahead of him. A young man, cut down in the prime of his life, defending the village from outsiders."_

_Who was dead!?_

"_A young man who will be mourned by many. A young man who will be sorely missed, not only for who he was but for what he might have been."_

_WHO WAS DEAD?!_

"_Today we mourn the loss of Kiba Inuzuka, Ninja of Konoha. Any one who knew Kiba knows that he worked hard to be the best, he was fiercely loyal to his team and his country." Tsunade smiled at a memory, "That he would do anything for a good joke."_

_Kiba was dead…_

_Watching the scene, Hinata couldn't believe it. Kiba couldn't be dead. It went against everything she believed in. Kiba was a permanent fixture in her life, a certainty in a world of uncertainties. She had taken it for granted that he couldn't die… that he wouldn't ever just abandon her like that. He'd been protecting her from day one, since she became a Shinobi and now he was dead._

"_For the past year, Kiba lay in a hospital bed." For whatever reason, Shino was speaking now, more than he'd ever spoken before in his life, "That was the hardest part for any of us… seeing him like that. Kiba never sat still for anyone… He'd been separated from the rest of us on a mission and injured severely. After that he slipped into a coma…"_

_Beneath his glasses, Shino's eyes filled with tears and Hinata could feel the anguish of her friend's heart as he spoke the words she herself was thinking._

"_That's not how Shinobi should die. Shinobi die on the battle field, not in a hospital room. It isn't right… Kiba lived with honor; he ought to have died that way. Fate robbed him of that. The least we could do…" Shino shrugged, "Was end his pain."_

_They'd turned off the machines. They'd unplugged him, like a hair dryer. Shino was right… that wasn't how a shinobi was supposed to die. But hooked up to a ventilator and feeding tube? That wasn't how a shinobi was supposed to live. Did anything turn out right in this world?_

"_We burry a ninja today." Shino continued, "A true Shinobi, a citizen of Konoha. We honor Kiba today, the life he lived. He was a ninja, a brother, a friend… my best friend. We honor him today and we will miss him for every day more that we remember. He was a shinobi. May he rest with peace… and the will of fire."_

_The will of fire. It seemed a poor substitute in Hinata's mind. Shino returned to his seat, next to a crying Hana Inuzuka. Next to her, tears streamed down Tsume's face as well. Hinata had never seen the Inuzuka's cry. They were strong, proud but now the dogs began to howl and Hinata realized that Kiba had been the life force behind them. Now he was gone and so was everything that made sense to her_

_Hinata watched herself, cold and frozen, not even shedding a tear for her best friend. Then all at once, she wore a wedding dress. The others had disappeared and it was just her and Naruto and Tsunade performing the ceremony. Time had passed… time had to have passed… but Kiba's grave was still fresh and open in the summer air._

"_We are gathered here today…" Tsunade began again but the words were lost on Hinata. Her eyes were on the grave… on the figure that stood inside of it. Kiba watched her with vacant eyes, yearning and filled with despair. Hinata could feel him, his sadness cutting through to her very soul._

"_And if anyone has just reason why these two should not be joined together, let them speak now or forever hold his peace."_

"_Hinata, I love you."_

_Kiba never was one to hold his peace._

"_No… Kiba." She muttered, closing her eyes._

"_I've loved you since I met you. Only you, Hinata."_

"_Damn it, Kiba!"_

"_You don't love him." Kiba said, "You don't. Please, we were cheated. We never got the chance."_

"_Then I now pronounce you-"_

"Damn it, Kiba." She muttered to the boy who'd been silent for almost half a year, the boy with the oxygen mask over his face, the boy who said he loved her, "Make up your mind. Wake up! Wake up or…" She couldn't finish that sentence, "Please, I can't take this anymore, I can't sleep! I can't and when I do finally get to sleep, I-"

"Hinata?" Shino stood in the door way. She had no idea how long he had stood there but she guessed it was long enough to confirm that Hinata was completely crazy. To her surprise, Hinata had stopped caring if people thought she was crazy. Maybe she was.

"Hi, Shino." She didn't bother to look up.

"You're here early."

"So are you."

Hinata sighed. There was no comeback for that.

Shino's eyebrow rose beneath his glasses. Three months ago, Kiba had told him it was over, that he was giving up on Hinata. He'd been surprised to say the least. Kiba made no answer when Shino questioned him as to why. Only that Hinata had made her choice and it wasn't him.

_The problem with ghosts is you can't make them answer you. _Shino thought.

But even after Kiba gave her up, Hinata did not seem better. On the contrary, she seemed worse. The past six months had been hard on all of them but Hinata seemed especially affected. She didn't smile anymore, unless Naruto was there. She was stuttering in almost every sentence and when she didn't stutter, her voice was hollow, devoid of any emotion. She was distant in training and Neji had mentioned that she had been sneaking out at night.

The silence was deafening. Shino felt he ought to say something but, even after Hana had become a main fixture in his life, words weren't his forte. They weren't Hinata's either. If it weren't for Kiba, team eight would have been completely silent. It was even more proof that they needed him… Shino wished she would realize that.

"How's Hana?" Hinata broke the silence. She could feel him judging her and she wanted it to stop.

"She's alright." Shino said, "Worried."

"Yeah." Hinata said, noncommittally.

"How's Naruto?" The question jumped from his lips with out prompting. Hinata looked up at him in surprise. It was common knowledge that she and Naruto were dating but Shino had never spoken of it.

"He's fine." She said shortly, "Why?"

"Did you stay at his apartment last night?" Another question that had needed no prompting. Shino wondered what had come over him but did not apologize. He honestly wanted to know.

"Calling me a whore, Shino?" Hinata asked.

"No."

"You and Neji gossip like old women." She scoffed angrily, "So what if I am sleeping with Naruto!? I'm not a nun, Shino! It's a free country; I can have sex when ever I want to!"

"No one said you couldn't."

"I'm not going to apologize for it!" She was standing now, angrier than he'd ever seen her, "I haven't done anything wrong! I never made any promises to anyone! I never promised him anything! He has no right to-"

"Are we talking about Kiba now?" Shino asked softly. Hinata froze at the mention of his name but Shino continued, not caring if he hurt her or not, "Kiba, our friend and teammate? Because all he ever did was care about you, Hina! He wasn't expecting anything!" Shino paused, glancing sadly at the motionless figure on the hospital bed, "He _**doesn't **_expect anything…"

_There…_He thought, _I said it._ The speech had been long over due. Shino wasn't in the habit of speaking without thought. He wasn't used to getting so "excited", as Hana put it. It seemed to have an effect though. Hinata stopped raging; she looked tired. She walked slowly back to her seat and sat down, staring at Kiba.

"Really?" Hinata whispered, struggling for the words, "It doesn't feel that way. He's haunting me, Shino. When I wake up I see Naruto, just before I fall asleep, I see Naruto. But in between… when I dream… its Kiba. Just Kiba."

The small beep of the machines keeping Kiba alive was the only noise to break their silence. Hinata shock with soundless tears and Shino stood by helplessly.

"Hinata…" He sighed, "What do you want?"

"I don't know…" Her voice was hollow, "I don't know… I want things back the way they were… before all this happened… but I don't think that's possible, is it, Shino?"

"No… no, I don't think it is." Shino said.

"Right." Hinata stood again, "I'd better go."

She moved quickly out of the room. Shino said nothing. He stood alone in the hospital room and then spoke;

"Kiba. If you're here, I want to talk to you."


	9. Chapter 9

Yondaime enjoyed death. He hadn't at first, nobody did, but his natural interest in things that were none of his business soon won over his love of life. In the twenty years since he'd been alive, The Fourth Hokage had witnessed countless love affairs, countless Chunin exams, a couple wars, a massacre and more naked women than he'd ever hoped to view in life.

But Kiba's case was utterly unique. Yondaime had known ghosts, he'd known demons and he'd known living people but he had never yet encountered somebody trapped between life and death as Kiba was and the situation fascinated him. He'd been incredibly irritated when the boy had given up.

"_What do you mean you're done?!"_

"_They don't have an I.Q test to be a Hokage, do they?" Kiba smirked slightly, "I'm giving up, Yondaime. Thanks for everything you've done but…it's pretty obvious who she wants."_

"_Wow…" The ghost Hokage stared incredulously, "I thought you loved her."_

_Kiba stiffened at the words, it was obvious they'd hurt him. "I do love her…"_

"_Then why don't you believe in her?"_

"_This has nothing to do with whether I believe in her or not!" Kiba snarled, "This is about what I see with my own two eyes! She doesn't WANT ME! If you love somebody, you take their feelings into account!"_

_Yondaime had nothing to say to that._

"_I'm tired…" Kiba muttered, "I'm more tired than I ever felt when I was alive. I want to be done. I want to say goodbye, okay? I'm sick of getting my heart broken."_

So Kiba had given up. He spent most of his time now, hanging out with his dog or the other Hokages. He didn't even bother looking after his body. Yondaime had taken over that rather depressing task for him. So far it had proved to be exceptionally boring but now it seemed his favorite soap opera would at last return. Filled with glee, he looked for Kiba.

Yondaime found him alone, wondering aimlessly through the village. Akamaru was at his side as usual. The dog always stayed where ever Kiba's presence was strongest. Beside him, Kiba's soul wandered without joy or purpose. Yondaime sighed.

_This kid really does not like being dead… for all his moaning and whining about being tired._

"Hey!" Kiba turned slightly at the Fourth's voice. They'd had a slight falling out after Kiba took away his favorite form of entertainment. The two were still on speaking terms but less so than before.

"What do you want?" Kiba asked.

"Shino wants to talk to you." Yondaime said, not bothering to make him guess.

"What?" He hadn't been expecting that, "Shino?"

"Yeah. Shino." The Fourth said sarcastically, "Shino Aburame? Your team mate? Ringing any bells?"

"You're not funny at all, you know that?" Kiba rolled his eyes, "Why does Shino want to talk to me?"

"Probably to exchange sushi recipes. How should I know? Go ask him yourself."

"No." Kiba shook his head, "You're probably just bored."

"If I am, it's your fault." Yondaime said bitterly, "But if you're insinuating that I am spreading untruths, Kiba, you are grievously mistaken. If you don't believe me, head over to the Aburame compound. He ought to be asleep, waiting for you, I mean."

"Fine." Kiba said, having nothing better to do, "You stay here though. I'm sick of being reality television for every dead guy in the village."

"You're way too young to be this bitter!" The fourth yelled after him, "And don't flatter yourself! The woman's bath house is our reality television!"

* * *

_Shino slept with a vengeance. This shit had gone entirely too far in his opinion and it was time it stopped. If necessary, he'd go into a coma himself just to set Kiba straight._

_Fortunately it did not come to that. He dreamed about the arena he'd fought in for the first part of the Chunin exams. It was rather appropriate, Shino thought, since he'd never wanted to physically hurt Kiba as much as he did now. He didn't have to wait long._

"_Shino?"_

_Kiba wore the same thing he always wore when they were younger, with his hood up. Shino took only a moment to study his friend before-_

_**WHAM!**_

_The Inuzuka was sent flying backwards. Shino's fist remained clenched. He wondered whether that would finally knock some sense into Kiba or if he would have to hit him again. Not that he would mind doing so. Kiba sat in stunned silence and Shino took a deep breath. _

"_What are you doing to Hinata?"_

"_What?" Kiba rubbed his face sourly. There was really no good part about his situation. He didn't have nerves anymore! Why did he still feel pain?!_

"_You heard me. What are you doing to Hinata?" Shino repeated, "You said you'd given up-"_

"_I have!"_

"_I wanted to kill you when you said that but I didn't. It was your choice to give up on your life and I respected that, even if it meant hurting everyone around you, not the least of which is Hana! And me too, if it comes to that. I respected your decision and yet, you continue to torture Hinata when you said you'd given up on her!"_

"_Torture?! What are you talking about?"_

"_I'm talking about the fact that you're haunting her!" The Aburame shouted, "You're haunting her and you're not even dead yet! Damn it, Kiba! What are you trying to accomplish? She already feels guilty!"_

"_Listen! I don't know what the hell you're- she feels guilty?"_

"_Yes! She feels guilty about all of it, for you getting attacked, for liking Naruto- for sleeping with him!"_

"_Really?"_

"_You said you gave up, Kiba." Shino sighed in exasperation, "But Hinata is losing her mind over this. She can't close her eyes without seeing your dead body. You're my best friend, Kiba, but so is she and you can't just keep hurting her like this."_

"_Shino…" Kiba chose his words carefully, "I haven't seen Hinata for three months. I've been purposely avoiding her, to let her go on with her life."_

"_Then why is she still dreaming about you?"_

"_I- what?" He stared, not daring to believe it. For the past three months, he'd wandered alone, avoiding her on purpose. Being away from Hinata for that long, denying himself even the sight of her, pierced him worse than any knife he'd ever felt but he knew that seeing her, happy in the arms of another, would destroy him even more. Kiba had tried to distract himself from the ache of missing her. He wandered aimlessly with Akamaru, found wars and stood in the midst of the bloodiest battle, wishing he had a body so he could die. For the first time since he was born, Kiba had actually wished for death because, for the first time since he was born, Kiba had no reason to live._

"_She told me about it." Shino was calmer now. He did not regret his words, Kiba needed to hear them. However, upon hearing Kiba's defense- it hadn't sounded like a lie- Shino began to think he may have missed something. "She said you were haunting her… she said she was dreaming about you."_

"_She's dreaming about me…" Kiba muttered, more to himself than Shino, and a ghost of a smile appeared without his prompting. "She's dreaming about me…"_

"_You haven't been seeing her." It was not a question._

_Kiba shook his head._

"_You're sure?"_

"_Yeah, I'm sure!" His smile widened._

"_Kiba, you understand what this means?"_

"_Yeah…" He was breathless, grinning now, exactly like he did before. "She's dreaming about me."_

"_You're a genius, Kiba." Shino rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help smiling. Kiba flopped back on to the ground, grinning wildly. There was hope now, more hope than he'd ever thought he'd have! She was dreaming about him! All on her own!_

"_Kiba?" Shino asked after a long while, "You still conscious?"_

"_Yeah." Kiba sat up again, still smiling, "Hey, since when do you punch? Used to be your bugs'd come out before you moved a muscle."_

"_Hey, this is __**my**__ dream!" Shino glared at him, "I can hit who ever I please."_

"_You always could." Kiba stood up, "Thanks, Shino."_

"_You're welcome." Shino smiled, "You think this'll be over pretty soon?"_

"_Yeah." Kiba glanced towards the doors, "Pretty soon."_

"_Good." Shino said, "Hana still wants to kill you."_

"_Well, she's got a right to it." Kiba grinned, "I'll see you, Shino."_

"_See ya."_

* * *

"Yondaime! Hey, Yondaime!"

The Fourth Hokage looked up from the dirty manga he was reading over Hatake Kakashi's shoulder. Kiba ran, over the heads of several people, towards him, grinning his face off.

"Well, well, Kiba Inuzuka!" He grinned back, "You look like you're alive again!"

"Close enough!" Kiba couldn't stop smiling, "She's dreaming about me, man! She's dreaming about me and I didn't even DO anything!"

"You little charmer, you!"

"You're getting a lot of amusement out of this."

"I always do."

"Anyway…" Kiba said, "I just wanted to thank you."

"And thank **you **for hours of entertainment!"

"No, really." Kiba said seriously, "You helped… I mean, a lot. Thank you for… explaining everything to me, I guess."

"And when you started to give up?"

"Thank you for looking after my body. Thank you for telling me about Shino."

Yondaime smiled and, for the third time since Kiba'd known him, he looked like a Hokage. Calm, self assured. A leader. Then he grinned.

"Glad to help. What are you going to do now?"

"I'm gonna go see Hinata." Kiba smiled nervously, "I haven't been honest with her. She deserves that. Shino was right when he said I'd been torturing her, even if it wasn't intentional. I'm gonna stop torturing her. I'm gonna tell her everything. Everything I should have told her from the start. Hopefully it goes well."

"Kiba, that's a beautiful sentiment and all…" Yondaime said, his voice devoid of any emotion, "but, in case it's escaped your attention, what with all the excitement- it's twelve o'clock in the afternoon. Barely. The chances of finding Hinata asleep are slim to nil."

"Oh… right." Kiba laughed a little, suddenly feeling very stupid.

"Well!" Yondaime said, "How anticlimactic! Since it appears you'll be with us for another few hours, why don't you come say goodbye to all the other Hokages? They'll get all _mopey _if they think they've been forgotten."

"Can't have that." Kiba laughed and the two set off towards the hot springs.

"Hey, Yondaime?" Kiba asked after a little bit, "when I get my body back… will I still be able to talk to you? Will I remember this?"

"You might." The fourth said, airily, "Your situation's unique, Kiba. Normally people stay dead. I don't really know what will happen."

"Take a guess."

"It'll probably be hazy, like remembering a dream. After a while, you might forget it all together. Just one of those things."

"Will you still talk to me?"

"If I feel like it. Same rules apply as the rest of the living, I can visit in a dream. Don't know if I will though." He sighed, "But stay interesting anyway, would you?"

"Yeah, okay."

* * *

"Hey, are you okay?" Hinata barely heard Naruto through the cloud of her thoughts.

"What? Oh… yeah, I'm fine." She yawned a little and smiled half heartedly. She'd stopped stuttering around Naruto. That much good had come out of this. Except now she stuttered around everyone else when he was not there. Naruto was so blessedly stupid; she didn't have to explain her actions to him. Or maybe she did.

"No, you're not fine." He sat up and looked at her. They'd been lying together in bed. Hinata was there first, trying in vain to sleep. Naruto came later and wrapped his arms around her. It was a romantic gesture on his part and in another time, she would have swooned and died happily in his arms. But now, she barely noticed him at all.

"I just… haven't been sleeping very well lately." Hinata said shortly, hoping that would satisfy him. It was true enough, even though Naruto wouldn't be there if he knew the reason behind her insomnia.

"Okay." Thank God for his acceptance. "You're sure you're okay?"

"Yeah." Hinata said, kissing him to prove it. "Let's just go to sleep, okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

_Kiba was waiting for her as soon as she fell asleep. Hinata turned away immediately; she didn't want to watch him die again! It wasn't fair… having to see him die so often. Every time… it was like she was dying herself. _

"_Hinata?" His voice was calm, maybe a little worried. He placed his hand on her shoulder and she shuddered._

"_Kiba…" She whispered, still not daring to look at him, "Are you- are you alive? I don't want you to die again…"_

"_I'm not gonna die again." Kiba said, "I just want to talk to you."_

_She turned around and sighed in relief when he wasn't bleeding. He was Kiba again; normal Kiba, not bleeding, not dying, not dead, not being buried, just normal Kiba. He looked serious, though. That wasn't normal but she would take it. She would take serious over dead any day of the week._

"_Hi, Kiba." Hinata whispered softly._

"_Hi, Hina." They were in the empty world again, from the first time he'd visited her dreams. They stood apart in silence for a long while. Hinata seemed lost in her own subconscious, small and afraid as she used to be in their academy days. He hated seeing her like that, hated himself for not helping her._

"_Hinata!" He'd embraced her before either of them knew what he was doing, "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry I did this to you."_

"_Kiba, I- what?"_

"_I'm sorry." He loosened his grip a little and looked at her, "I'm sorry. I haven't told you everything I should have and I'm so, so sorry for it. I'm going to fix that now."_

_Hinata felt weak; she was asleep and she felt tired. Without her will and almost with out her knowledge, she sunk to the ground. Kiba went with her._

"_Hinata? You okay?"_

_She shook her head, "Yes."_

"_No, you're not but I guess I can't blame you." Kiba sighed, "Listen, Hinata… I'm stuck. I'm alive but I'm not alive. I'm dead but I'm not dead. I'm stuck some place in between. I'm stretched out between two worlds."_

"_What do you want me to do?"_

"_Choose. One way or another; do you want me here?"_

"_Kiba, I want you back! I want things the way they were!" He had to smile a little at that. Even after everything, that was what he wanted too. He'd give anything erase the last six months of his so called life. He'd give anything not to have hurt her like he did. He'd give anything, just to be her friend again but…_

"_I don't think that's gonna happen, Hinata."_

"_No." She said, "Too much has happened. Shino said that too."_

"_Listen, Hinata. It's not up to me anymore." He smiled miserably, "I don't think it ever was. I hate to put pressure on you but I need to make you understand. I'm stuck. You gotta pull me out, Hina. You have to decide, whether I stay stuck or whether you set me free."_

_Hinata nodded. She knew what she had to do._

* * *

"Hunh?" It wasn't the first time, nor would it be the last, that Naruto had no idea what was going on. It was early, so early an hour ago it was late. Hinata was getting up. No, she was up, she was getting dressed. At one AM.

"Hinata…" Her boyfriend spoke groggily, "What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, Naruto…" She'd forgotten about his presence even. It was strange how much that used to matter to her, "I have to go now."

"Where? Mission?"

"No- yes, but not what you're thinking." She couldn't think of any words to make him understand, "I have to go to the hospital. I have to see Kiba."

"Oh…" It was really too early for him to process anything, "Okay." Naruto turned over and went back to sleep.

_Bless his stupidity._ Hinata thought as she walked out the door. She knew what she had to do. She was going to set Kiba free. She was going to let him go… to let him die, as much as it pained her to think of it.


End file.
